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CAPTAIN JAMES WILSON, 

CONTAINING 

AN ACCOUNT 

OF 

HIS ENTERPRISES AND SUFFERINGS IN INDIA, 
HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY, 

HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH SEAS 

AND HIS 

PEACEFUL AND TRIUMPHANT DEATH. 



BY JOHN GRIFFIN. 


First American Edition , 

COMPRISING AN 



OF 


USEFUL AND INTERESTING MISSIONARY PAPERS. 

■ 

. . 

+\’ mmmm 


BOSTON: 

SAMUEL T. ARMSTRONG, AND CROCKER & BREWSTER, 
NEW YORK:—JOHN P. HAVEN. 

1322 , 





CONTENTS. 


n engraved likeness of Pomarre, king of Otaheite. 


PART FIRST. 

Remarks upon the subject of Biography generally—Dr. Ha weis’s 
Opinion of Wilson’s eventftil and instructive life—Wilson’s parentage 
-—was at the battle of Bunker Hill—goes to India—runs his ship 
ashore—undertakes a hazardous enterprise for the relief of the array 
in India—succeeds—is taken prisoner by the French—escapes with 
great labor and risk from captivity—is retaken—his cruel treatment 
—horrors of the prison house—he is released—saves a man from 
drowning—engages in trade—becomes rich—meets Mr. Thomas 
the Baptist missionary, and with him returns to England—settles at 
Horn dean. - 9 


PART SECOND. 

Capt. Wilson becomes Acquainted with the author—arguments for 
the truth of Revelation—necessity of a Revelation—Leslie’s short 
method—Predestination—is under very deep concern about the sal¬ 
vation of his soul—is admitted a member of the church in Port- 
sea. ....... -31 


PART THIRD. 

Wilson offers himself for the missionary voyage—goes to London 
and enters on the employment—the ship Duff is purchased and pre¬ 
pared for sea—Letters—Duff sails from London, August 10, 1796— 
arrives at Spithead—is visited by some of the Directors—Letter of 
Instructions—Duff sails from Portsmouth, Sept. 23d—arrives at Rio 
de Janeiro, Nov. 12.—Notice of the Duff’s safe arrival given at the 
General meeting in May, 1798—Capt. Wilson’s letter to Joseph 
Hardcastle, Esq. dated at Canton, in which is an interesting account 
of the voyage, and reception at the Islands.—Kind and grateful let¬ 
ter of the Missionaries to Capt. Wilson; he is ridiculed in China— 



iv 


CONTENTS. 


soon obtains a cargo, and leaves China, Dec, 3, 1 797— arrives at the 
Cape of Good Mope, March 17, 1798, and in the River Thames 
July 11 el! well; having been absent one year and nine months—a 
day of public thanksgiving observed by the friends of the mission— 
Dr. Haweis’s Sermon—Letter of the Missionaries to the Directors — 
Letters of Pomarre—Letter from the Rev. Mr. Marsden. - 96 


PART FOURTH. 

Capt. Wilson’s manner of life—resides in London—health impair¬ 
ed— Marries into a wealthy and respectable family at Camberwell— 
his kindness to his relatives, whereby he becomes involved, and sus¬ 
tains very heavy losses—Mrs. Wilson—on fixing upon some settled 
plan in bestowing charity—countess of Warwick—Capt. Wilson dies 
in peace and triumph, Friday, Aug. 12, 1814—Reflections. - 153 


APPENDIX. 

Letters from Mr. Marsden—from the Missionaries—from Po- 
marre—the Royal Mission Chapel at Taheite—Missionary meet¬ 
ing there—new laws— Pomarre baptised —Missionary meeting at 
Huaheine—at Eimeo—St. Luke’s Gospel published—remarkable 
changes in the manners and morals of the natives—a barbarous mur¬ 
der, note —Some account of Pomarre the present king—his man¬ 
ners and personal appearance—extract of his letter to Mr. Marsden 
—the newly built vessel called “ Haiveis ”—an Address to the 
friends of Missionary Societies—Divine Predictions the warrant and 
authority for missionary exertions—John Foster on the Love of 
Money, an extract from a Missionary Sermon. - - 1T5 


MEMOIRS 


OF 


©AMASH MHUSS 


PART I. 

From the Early Youth of the Captain , to his set¬ 
tling at Horndean , in Hampshire . 

THE representation of truth through the 
medium of historic fact and biographical incident, 
has always proved more interesting to a very nu¬ 
merous class of readers, than when presented in an 
abstract and didactic form. 

Biography exhibits principles in operation, and 
shows the doctrine and its evidence in one view. 
The reading of it gives scope for the exercise of 
nearly all the powers of the soul, at the same time. 
The imagination presents to the mind, the object, 
place, and occurrence, as though before the eye; 
the understanding associates ideas, examines and 
traces causes and effects, and draws its conclusions, 
while the passions are excited, in a degree propor¬ 
tioned to the interesting nature of the narrative. 
If its subjects be moral or religious, the conscience 
1 


10 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


also is employed, and gives a point and personal 
application to truth, highly beneficial to the reader. 
Thus biography, while it affords entertainment, is 
suited to impart instruction, and improve the heart. 

It is from the interest the human mind feels in his¬ 
toric representation, that dramatic writing obtains 
such an extensive and almost universal popularity. 
The religious as well as the fashionable world, has 
its dramas; and fact and fiction are so blended in 
some books, as to render it necessary to guard our 
young people against supposing that all is fiction. 
It is neither my province nor my intention, to decide 
on the propriety or impropriety of this mode 
of writing, but I may express my fears, lest 
there should be such a degree of it, as may intro¬ 
duce a levity of character into the most serious part 
of society, and by the number of such books facili¬ 
tate the transition from the love of religious to that 
of fashionable novels. By giving too much employ¬ 
ment to the fancy, faith is embarrassed, and the un¬ 
derstanding is weakened. Perhaps the best way to 
prevent a redundancy of this kind of composition, is 
to present the religious world with authentic nar¬ 
ratives of real life; to exhibit facts as they occur, 
without the aid of an imaginary scenery to increase 
the interest of the representation. 

It it should be thought that these remarks seem 
like an apology for writing the following Me¬ 
moir, I would say, it is not denied; but they afford 
likewise an opportunity to assure the reader, that 
fiction is in no instance called to aid or embellish 
the interesting narrative which is here presented of 
the life of Captain James Wilson. 

Dr. Havveis thought the Captain’s life so eventful 
and instructive, that he has appended a well-written, 
though brief account, of the early part of it, to his 
three volumes of Church History. This account 
has been since printed by some booksellers, in a de- 


HIS EARLY YOUTH. 


11 


tached, but mutilated form, and very extensively 
circulated through the country. The avidity with 
which that tract was read, and the lively interest 
many have taken in the Captain’s life, have induced 
his friends to think, that a more enlarged and cor¬ 
rect account of his conversion from Deism to Chris¬ 
tianity, and from a state of unregeneracy to a state 
of vital godliness, is highly desirable. 

i have given the part of his life previous to his 
conversion, with some corrections and additions, 
which subsequent conversation with the Captain 
suggested, nearly in the language of his much es¬ 
teemed friend. The Doctor entitles his account, 
“Memoirs of the leadings of Divine Providence, in 
the call of Captain James Wilson to the work of 
conducting the South Sea Mission.” 

As the work of God in general, and the Mission¬ 
ary Society in particular, are so highly indebted to 
the noble and disinterested services of Captain 
James Wilson, 1 wish to record his name among the 
worthies, w ho in spreading the Gospel among the 
heathen, deserve to he held in especial remembrance. 
The singular wisdom and prudence with which he 
discharged his trust, and the uncommon success 
which crow ned his labors, through the w hole of his 
long and perilous voyage, are a fresh manifestation 
of the care and keeping of that gracious Lord w ho 
had so often before, and in such a wonderful manner, 
led him by a way w hich he knew not; preserved him 
amidst deaths oft, and dangers so peculiar; and 
after bearing with him in his rebellion and insensi¬ 
bility, having chosen him from the beginning for 
himself, prepared him by a series of preceding prov¬ 
idences for that work which he was so peculiarly 
qualified to fulfil. 

Captain James Wilson was the youngest son of 
nineteen children. His father w as commander of a 


12 MEMOIRS OP CAPTAIN WILSON. 

ship in the Newcastle trade, and brought him up 
from his.earliest years in the sea service. During 
the last war he served in America, and was present 
at the battles of Bunker’s Hill, and of Long Island. 

On his return from America, he obtained a birth 
as mate of an East Indiaman, being, though young, 
an able navigator. After arriving in safety at Ben¬ 
gal, he quitted his ship, and determined to abide in 
that country. There he became engaged in the 
country service, and in one of these voyages, Mr. 
Cabel, the marine paymaster, sailing with him from 
Madras to Calcutta, was so much pleased with his 
conduct as to commence the most cordial friendship 
with him; and soon after their arrival in Bengal, 
sent him in a small vessel to the Nicobar Islands, 
with dispatches for the ships returning from the 
east, to advise them of the arrival of the French 
squadron, under SutFrein, on the coast, and to put 
them on their guard. The ship he commanded was 
iii-found, and in the voyage her stern-post grew so 
loose as to admit so much water, that with difficulty 
she was prevented from foundering. He was there¬ 
fore obliged to run for Madras, and off Pulicat, dis¬ 
covered the’ French fleet going down the coast: he 
expected them to chase; and pressed with all sail for 
the shore, where a dangerous shoal probably pre¬ 
vented pursuit and capture; but the ship was so 
leaky he was obliged to run her on the beach to save 
their lives. He proceeded thence to Madras, just at 
the critical moment when the settlement was in the 
greatest distress. Sir Eyre Coote had marched 
to the south, and was so surrounded by Hyder 
Ally’s army, that no supplies could reach him by 
land; and the French squadron anchoring at Pon¬ 
dicherry, had cut off all supplies by sea; so that the 
British troops were reduced to great difficulties, and 
in danger of famine, their stores being nearly ex¬ 
hausted. 


HI9 EARLY YOUTH. 


13 


Several Pia ships had been loaded with rice at 
Madras, but as the French fleet la) directly in the 
way, they dared not attempt the passage to Cudda- 
lore, near which Sir Eyre Foote was encamped. 
The Governor of Madras, Mr. Smith, had heard 
of Mr. Wilson, and though a young man, sent for 
him and inquired if he would attempt to carry down 
the ships w ith the supplies for the camp, stating the 
danger and hazard of the run, and offering him four 
hundred pagodas for the service, and more if he 
should he detained beyond a fortnight. The Cap¬ 
tain undertook to attempt the passage, and immedi¬ 
ately made preparations for his departure. The 
vessel in which he embarked w 7 as about five hun¬ 
dred tons burden; with three others under his 
command, all navigated by black men, himself being 
the only European, except an officer, who went 
down as passenger to the army. He pushed on as 
far as Sadras, about sixteen leagues, where he took 
refuge under the Dutch flag, and dispatched two 
llirearrahs to Sir Eyre Coote, to inform him of his 
approach and to expect his orders; but the^roads 
were all so obstructed by Hyder’s horse, that to 
avoid the marauding army, the Hircarrahs were 
obliged to take a great circuit; and as they ventured 
to travel only by night, they were eleven days be¬ 
fore they returned. They brought from the Gen¬ 
eral, the most urgent orders to proceed, at all hazards, 
and without a moment’s delay; adding, that if the 
Captain brought only one vessel, and lost the rest, 
it would be of the most essential service. He ac¬ 
cordingly immediately weighed anchor, proceeding 
at such a distance from Pondicherry, as to see from 
the mast-head the French flag, and if possible, to 
pass them in the night undiscovered. The French 
fleet that very evening weighed anchor, occasioned 
by a singular circumstance, which was afterwards 
known. Suffrein had sent his water-casks on shore 
1 * 


14 


MEMOIRS OF CAFTAIX WILSON* 


to be filled, and they lay on the beach. Sir Eyre 
Coote had detached a corps of grenadiers and light 
infantry, who entered Pondicherry, which was open 
on the land side, since the fortifications had been de¬ 
molished; they found and staved all the casks, de¬ 
stroying them entirely; and this induced Suffrein to 
run down to Point de Galle, to repair the loss, just 
at the moment when Capt. Wilson was passing in the 
offing. As SuffreiiPs ships sailed so much better than 
his, they were off Cuddalorc in the morning,and Cap¬ 
tain Wilson arrived in the afternoon; thus providen¬ 
tially escaping, and bringing in the whole of the car¬ 
goes entrusted to his care, and so much wanted by 
the army. They had then been reduced to their last 
forty five bags of paddy, and not a grain of rice to 
be procured. This supply rescued them from im¬ 
pending famine, or the necessity of cutting their way 
through the enemy; and under God, was the means, 
as all acknowledged, of the preservation of the army 
and of the Carnatic. Captain Wilson had some 
stores of his own, which were greedily seized and 
devoured as soon as landed. The next day he was 
invited to dine with the General and his staff, was 
placed at Sir Eyre Coote’s right hand, and received 
the most cordial acknowledgments for his services. 
He informed the company of the seizure of his 
stores; they bid him prepare an account of them, 
and gave him a pagoda for every bottle of wine, and 
for the rest in proportion, so that this successful trip 
produced him about a thousand pounds, and a testi¬ 
mony of Sir Eyre Coote’s high satisfaction in the 
services which he had performed. 

Returning to Bengal, he continued to be employed 
in carrying down supplies: but as these voyages 
include nothing interesting, 1 shall only note his 
unfortunate capture by the French, when he was 
going with a very valuable cargo of military stores 
for Sir Edward Hughes, whose ammunition had been 


Ills EARLY YOUTH. 


15 


exhausted in the well known conflict with Suffrein. 
He was carried into Cuddalore, which had been 
taken by the French, and there he found the crew 
of the Hannibal in the same captivity. He was 
permitted, with other officers, to be at large on his 
parole, and hoped shortly to be exchanged. 

Hyder had at that time overrun and wasted great 
part of the Carnatic; and in conjunction with the 
French, after taking Cuddalore, hoped to expel the 
English from all that territory. He had lately de¬ 
feated Colonel Daily’s detachment, and made them 
prisoners, and used every effort to get as many of the 
English as possible into bis power, in order either to 
tempt them into his service, or to gratify his brutal¬ 
ity by exposing them to a lingering death. He had 
bribed Suffrein with three hundred thousand rupees, 
to surrender up to him all his prisoners at Cuddalore; 
and the order being communicated to the commander 
of the fort, nothing could exceed the indignation and 
grief which he and his officers testified at such an in¬ 
famous bargain. However as he dared not disobey 
the orders of his superior, he informed the gentlemen 
on parole of the transaction, and his necessity of de¬ 
livering them up the next day, to the escort appoint¬ 
ed to carry them to Seringapatam. 

Captain Wilson no sooner received the intelli¬ 
gence, than he determined that very night, if possible, 
to attempt his escape from a captivity which appear¬ 
ed to him worse than death. He had observed, as 
he walked the ramparts, the possibility of dropping 
down into the river; and though he neither knew 
the height of the wall, nor the width of the rivers 
which were to be crossed, before he could reach a 
neutral settlement, he determined to seize the mo¬ 
ment of delay and risk the consequences, whatever 
danger or difficulty might be in the way. 

He communicated his resolution to a brother officer 
and a Bengalese boy, his servant, who both resolved 


16 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


to accompany him in his flight. It was concerted 
between them to meet on the ramparts, just before 
the guard was set, as it grew dark, and silently 
drop down from the battlement. Before tbe hour ap¬ 
pointed, hiscompanion’s heart failed him. Aboutsev- 
cn o’clock, he with his boy Toby, softly ascended the 
rampart unperceived, and the Captain leaping down, 
uncertain of the depth, pitched on his feet; but the 
shock of so great a descent, about forty feet, made 
bis chin strike against his knees, and tumbled him 
headlong into the river, which ran at the foot of the 
wall, and lie dreaded lest the noise of the dash into 
the water would discover him. He recovered him¬ 
self, however, as soon as possible, and returning to 
the foot of the wall, where there was a dry bank, 
bid the boy drop down and caught him safe in his 
arms. 

All that part of the Tanjore country is low and 
intersected with a number of rivers, branching off 
from the great Coleroon: these must all be necessa¬ 
rily crossed. He inquired, therefore, of the boy if he 
could swim; but found he could not. This was very 
embarrassing, but he resolved not to leave him be¬ 
hind, and therefore took him on his back, being an 
excellent swimmer, and carried him over. They 
pushed towards Porto Nuovo, about four leagues and 
a half from Cuddalore. They had passed three 
arms of the river, and advanced at as great a pace as 
they possibly could, to make use of the night, since 
their hope of safety depended chiefly on the distance 
they could reach before the morning light. Not far 
from Porto Nuovo, a seapoy centry challenged, 
AVho goes there? on which they shrunk back and 
concealed themselves, turning down to the river side. 
The river in that place was very wide, and being 
near the sea, the tide ran in w ith great rapidity. He 
took, however, the boy on his back, as he had done 
before, and bid him be sure to hold only by his 


HIS EARLY YOUTH. 


17 


hands and cast his legs behind him; hut when they 
came into the breakers, the boy was frightened, and 
clung around the Captain with his legs so fast as al¬ 
most to sink him. With difficulty he struggled 
with the waves, and turning back to the shore, found 
they must inevitably perish together if they thus at¬ 
tempted to proceed. Therefore setting the boy safe 
on land, he bid him go back to Doctor Mein, who 
would take care of him, but the poor lad has never 
since been heard of, though the most diligent in¬ 
quiries were made after him. As delay was death 
to him, he plunged again in the stream, and buffeting 
the waves, pushed for the opposite shore; but he 
found the tide running upwards so strong, that in 
spite of all his efforts, he was carried along with the 
current, and constrained at a considerable distance, 
to return to the same side of the river. Providential¬ 
ly, at the place where he landed, he discovered by 
the moonlight, dry on the beach, a canoe, which he 
immediately seized, and was drawing down to the 
river, when two black men rushed upon him and de¬ 
manded whither he was going with that boat. He 
seized the outrigger of the canoe as his only weapon 
of defence against the paddles which they had secur¬ 
ed, and told them he had lost his way; had urgent 
business to Tranquebar, and thither he must and 
would go; and launching with all his remaining 
strength, the canoe into the river; the good-natured 
Indians laid down their paddles on the shafts, and 
whilst he stood in the stern rowed him to the opposite 
shore./" He returned them many thanks, having 
nothing else to give them, and leaping on the beach, 
immediately pushed forward with all his might. He 
found he had as great a distance to pass to the Cole- 
roon as* he had already travelled, and therefore 
continued his course with full speed, the moon shining 
bright; and before break of day reached this largest 
arm of the river, of which those which he had 


18 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


crossed were branches. Exhausted with the fatigue 
he had undergone, and dismayed with the width of 
this mighty stream, he stood for a moment hesitating 
on the brink; but the approach of morning, and the 
danger behind him being so urgent, he stretched out 
his arms to the flood, and pressed for the shore. 
How long he was in crossing he could not ascertain, 
for somewhat near the centre of the river, he came 
in contact with the mast of a ship, or a great tree 
floating with the stream, on this he reclined his 
hands and his head, in which perilous position, lie 
thought he must have slept by the way, from some 
confused remembrance as of a person awaking from 
a state of insensibility, which lie supposed had last¬ 
ed half an hour at least. However, with the light of 
the morning he had reached the land and flattered 
himself that all hisdangers werepassed and his liber¬ 
ty secured; when after passing a jungle which led to 
the sea-side, he ascended a sand-bank to look around 
him.—There to his terror and surprise, he perceived 
a party of Hyder’s horse scouring the coast, and be¬ 
ing discovered by them they galloped up to him; in a 
moment seized him and stripped him naked, unable 
to fly or resist, and tying his hands behind his back, 
fastened a rope to them, and thus drove him before 
them to the head-quarters, several miles distant, un¬ 
der a burning sun, and covered with blisters. He 
supposes he must have gone that night and day more 
than forty miles, beside all the rivers he had crossed. 
Jiut to what efforts will not the hope of life and 
liberty prompt? what sufferings and dangers will 
not men brave to secure them? yet these were but the 
beginning of his sorrows. 

The officer at the head-quarters was a Mahometan, 
one of Hyder’s chieftains. He interrogated*the poor 
prisoner sharply, who he was, whence he came, and 
whither going? Mr, Wilson gave him an ingenuous 
account of his escape from Cuddalore, and the rea- 


11IS EARLY YOUTH. 


19 


sons for it, with all the circumstances attending his 
flight. The Moorman with wrath, looked at him 
and said Jute bat ,—“that is a lie,” as no man ever 
yet passed the Coleroon by swimming; for if he had 
but dipped the tip of his fingers in it, the alligators 
would have seized him. T he Captain assured him 
the truth was so, and gave him such indubitable 
evidence of the fact that he could no longer doubt 
the relation; when lifting up both his hands he 
cried out, Gouda ka Jldami! “this is God’s man.” 
So Caiaphas prophesied. He was indeed God’s 
man. The Lord had marked him for his own, 
though as yet he knew him not. 

He was immed%tely marched back, naked and 
blistered all over, to the former house of his prison, 
and in aggravated punishment for his flight, Hyder 
refused him permission to join his fellow officers, 
his former companions, and thrust him into a dun¬ 
geon among the meanest captives. Chained to a 
common soldier, he was next day led out, almost 
famished, and nearly naked, to march on foot to 
Seringapatam, in that burning climate, about 500 
miles distant. The officers beheld his forlorn con¬ 
dition with great concern, unable to procure him 
any redress; but they endeavored to alleviate his 
misery by supplying him with immediate necessa¬ 
ries. One gave him a shirt, another a waistcoat, 
another stockings and shoes, so that he was once 
more covered and equipped fo» his toilsome journey. 
But the brutes, his conductors, had no sooner march¬ 
ed him off to the first halting fdace, than they again 
stripped him to the skin, and left him only a sorry 
rag to wrap round his middle. 

In this wretched state, chained to another fellow 
sufferer, under a vertical sun, with a scanty provi¬ 
sion of r ice only', he had to travel naked and bare¬ 
foot, five hundred miles, insulted by the brutes who 
goaded him on all the day, and at night thrust him 


20 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


into a damp, unwholesome prison, crowded with 
other miserable objects. 

On their way they were brought into Hyder’s 
presence, and strongly urged to enlist in his service, 
and profess his religion, and thus obtain their liber¬ 
ty: to induce them to which, these horrible severi¬ 
ties were inflicted on them, and to escape these at 
any rate, some of the poor creatures consented. But 
the Captain rejected these offers with disdain; and 
though a stranger to a nobler principle, and desti¬ 
tute of all religion, so great a sense of honor im¬ 
pressed him, that he resolved to prefer death, with 
all its horrors, to desertion and Mahomedism. In 
various villages through whiclf they passed, in 
their long march, he was placed under cover, and 
exhibited to the country people as an object of cu¬ 
riosity, many of them never having seen a white 
man before. There he was forced to present him¬ 
self in all possible positions, and to display all the 
antics of which he was capable, that his conductors 
might obtain money from these poor villagers at the 
expense of their captive. 

In consequence of the dreadful nature of this 
march, exposed by day to the heat, and cooped up in 
a damp prison by night, without clothes, and almost 
without food, covered with sores, and the irons en¬ 
tering into his flesh, he was, in addition to all the 
rest of his sufferings, attacked with the flux; and 
how he arrived at Seringapatam alive, so weakened 
with disease, is wonderful. Yet greater miseries 
awaited him there—naked, diseased, and half starv¬ 
ed he was thrust into a noisome prison, destitute of 
food and medicine, with one hundred and fifty three 
fellow sufferers, chiefly Highlanders of Colonel 
Macleod’s regiment, men of remarkable size and 
vigor. The very irons which Colonel Baily had * 
worn, weighing thirty-two pounds, were fastened on 
him, and this peculiar rigor he was informed was 


HIS EARLY YOUTH. 


21 


the punishment for his daring to attempt an escape, 
as well as for his resolute rejection of all the tempt¬ 
ing offers made him. The other officers were at 
large, and among them was General Sir David 
Baird, so lately the avenger of their wrongs, when 
he stormed this very city. Poor Wilson was im¬ 
prisoned with the common soldiers, and chained to 
one of them night and day. 

It is hardly possible to express the scenes of un¬ 
varied misery, that for two and twenty months he 
suffered, in this horrible place. The prison was a 
square, round the walls of which was a kind of bar¬ 
rack for the guard. In the middle was a covered 
place open on all sides, exposed to the w ind and 
rain. There w ithout any bed but the earth, or cov¬ 
ering but the rags wrapped around him, he was 
chained to a feilow sufferer, and often so cold, that 
they have dug a hole in the earth, and buried them¬ 
selves in it. as some defence from the chilling blasts 
of the night. Their whole allowance was only a 
pound of rice a day per man, and one rupee for 
forty days, or one pice a-day, less than a penny, 
to provide salt and firing to cook their rice. It 
will hardly be believed, that it was among their 
eager employments to collect the white ants, which 
pestered them in the prison, and fry them, to pro¬ 
cure a spoonful or two of their buttery substance. 
A state of raging hunger was never appeased by an 
allowance scarcely able to maintain life; and the 
rice so full of stones, that he could not chew but 
must swallow it; and often (he said) he was afraid 
to trust his own fingers in his mouth, lest he should 
be tempted to bite them. Their rice was brought in 
a large bowl, containing the portion of a given num¬ 
ber; but that none might take more than his share, 
they provided themselves with a small piece of wood 
rudely formed into a spoon, which no one was suf¬ 
fered to use but in his turn; and such was the keen- 


22 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


ness of hunger, and his eagerness to obtain the 
food, that his jaws often snapped the spoon by an 
involuntary motion, as though forced together by a 
spring. 

The noble and athletic Highlanders were among 
the first victims. The flux and dropsy daily dimin¬ 
ished their numbers. Often the dead corpse was 
unchained from his arm in the morning, that anoth¬ 
er living sufferer might take his place, and fall by 
the same diseases. How his constitution could en¬ 
dure such sufferings is astonishing. Yet he had 
recovered from the flux, which he carried into the 
prison, and for a year maintained a state of health 
beyond his fellows. At last worn down with misery, 
cold, hunger and nakedness, he was attacked with 
he usual symptoms of the disorder which had carried 
off so many others. His body was enormously dis¬ 
tended, his thighs as big as his waist was before, 
and Ills face exceedingly bloated. Death seemed to 
have seized him for his prey; but his heart was still 
insensible as the nether millstone. God was not in 
all his thoughts, and his conscience cauterized, as if 
made stupid by his sufferings, he was dying as the 
beast which perisheth. No humiliation, no prayer, 
no sense of sin, no recourse to a pardoning God, no 
care about an eternal world, he lay occupied only 
with the desire of life and hope of recovery. How 
he survived such accumulated misery, exhausted 
with famine and disease, the unwholesome vapours 
of a prison thickening around him, and the iron en¬ 
tering into his flesh is next to a miracle; but the 
days of man arc numbered. He is immortal even in 
the regions of the shadow of death, till his appointed 
time shall come. 

Reduced now to the extremity of weakness, his 
chains too strait to be endured, and threatening mor¬ 
tification, he seemed to touch the moment of his 
dissolution, and was released from them to lie down 


IIIS EARLY YOUTH. 


23 


and die. The soldier to whom he had been last 
chained, had served him with great affection, whilst 
others who had been linked together often quarrelled, 
and rendered mad by their sufferings, blasphemed 
and aggravated each other’s miseries. Seeing him 
thus to appearance near his end, and thinking it 
might alleviate his pain, Sam intreated he might 
spend for oil, the daily pice, about three farthings 
paid them, and anoint his legs, but the Captain ob¬ 
jected, that he should have nothing to buy firing and 
salt to cook the next day’s provisions. Sam shook 
his head, and said, “Master, before that 1 fear you 
will be dead and never want it,” but who can tell 
what a day may bring forth? lie had exchanged 
his allowance of rice that day for a small species of 
gram, called ratche pier, which he eagerly devoured, 
and being very thirsty, he drank the liquor in which 
it was boiled, and this produced such an amazing 
effect, that in the course of a few hours, his legs and 
thighs, and body, from being ready to burst, were 
reduced to a skeleton; and though greatly weaken* 
cd, he was completely relieved: and afterwards re¬ 
commended the trial with success to many of his 
fellow prisoners. Remedies are ahvays near, when 
God designs they should be so, and always effica¬ 
cious when Omnipotence applies them! His irons 
were now replaced by others less heavy: and being 
mere skin and bones they would slip over his knees, 
and leave his legs at liberty. 

The ravages of death had now thinned their ranks, 
and few remained the living monuments of Uyder 
Ally’s cruelty and malignity: nor w r ould these prob¬ 
ably have conflicted with their miseries many more 
months or days; but the victories of Sir Eyre Coote 
happily humbled this monster, and compelled him 
reluctantly to submit, as one of the conditions of 
peace, to the release of all the British captives. 
With these glad tidings, after they had spent twenty- 


24 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


two months on the verge of the grave, Mr. Law, 
son of the Bishop of Carlisle, arrived at Seringa- 
patam, and to him the prison doors flew open: but 
w hat a scene presented itself! emaciated, naked, cov¬ 
ered with ulcers, more than half starved, only thirty- 
two remained out of one hundred and fifty-three 
brave men, to tell the dismal tale of the sufferings 
of their prison house. 

Their humane and compassionate deliverer imme¬ 
diately provided them with clothes, dressing for 
their wounds, and food for their hunger; but now 
their mercies threatened to be more fatal to them 
even than their miseries. The ravenousness of 
their appetite coord md be restrained; and though 
cautioned and warned against any excess, they de¬ 
voured tire meat provided with such keen avidity, 
that their stomachs, long unaccustomed to animal 
food, were incapable of digestion. Captain Wilson 
was one of the number who could not bridle his 
cravings. A large piece of beef w ? as assigned to 
him, the greater part of which he devoured with a 
voracious appetite, and the other part he placed un¬ 
der his pillow, with an intention to eat it the first 
moment he should wake; but the sad effects immedi¬ 
ately followed. He was seized that night with a 
violent fever, became delirious, and for a fortnight 
Itis life was despaired of. In his prison under suf¬ 
ferings more than human nature seemed capable of 
enduring he had struggled through, and for the 
most part enjoyed a state of health and strength, but 
now in the moment of liberty, joy and abundance, 
he received a stroke more severe than any he had 
before undergone. How little can \vc determine of 
the good or evil before us under the sun? He was a 
more wretched being surrounded by kind friends 
and every humane attention, than he had been when 
destitute, famished, covered with sores, and lying 
naked on the floor of a dungeon. But he who is the 



HIS EARLY YOUTH. 


25 


Lord of life and glory had determined he should not 
thus perish. When all human help had failed, the 
great physician who has the halm to heal the des¬ 
perate, rebuked the fever, restored his understand¬ 
ing, and raised him up once more from the dust of 
death; the eternal Source of mercy would not cut 
him off in the impenitence and hardness of his heart; 
he had grace in store for him and work prepared 
when the set time should come; and such work as 
w r as the farthest from every idea he had yet enter¬ 
tained. He was for this continued the living to 
praise him, but at that time, mercies had no more 
effect than miseries. His heart was yet hardened 
and he knew not the hand that healed him. The 
day of salvation was not yet arrived, nor the period 
of his chastisement closed. He returned to life and 
health with all the same corrupt propensities, the 
same unrenewed heart, the same forgetfulness of 
God and contempt of his word and commandments. 
No sufferings, not those of hell itself, can produce a 
salutary change: a sinner would come out of those 
flames the same as he entered them, unless the Spirit 
of love and power changed the heart of stone into a 
heart of flesh, and melted the obdurate into godly 
sorrow, working repentance unto salvation never to 
be repented of. 

The Captain often mentioned a remarkable in¬ 
stance of ingratitude, which used, while he was in 
India* to sting him to the heart. A gentleman of 
very large property fell overboard in -Bengal river, 
under such circumstances as that he must inevita¬ 
bly have been drowned, had not Mr. Wilson, then 
a very young man, plunged into the stream and res¬ 
cued him from the jaws of death. Although he must 
have known that Mr. Wilson had saved his life at 
the imminent risk of his own, not only from the al¬ 
most unparalleled rapidity of the current, but from 
the number of sharks and alligators in the river; 

#2 


26 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


and though there were various methods by which he 
could have essentially served this young man for Ids 
prompt and generous conduct, yet he never express¬ 
ed his gratitude by any one act of generosity towards 
his deliverer. Captain Wilson knew well how to 
moralize on this base ingratitude, as being a crime 
not only against him but against society, as it tend¬ 
ed by its influence to check the benevolent heroism 
by which life is often saved. Yet he never, till after 
lie knew and felt the power of the Gospel, reflected 
on the vile ingratitude of his own heart, towards 
Him who had so often and so remarkably delivered 
him by his kind providence, when on the brink of 
death. 

Being now restored, and capable of accompany¬ 
ing his countrymen, he descended the Gauts, and 
proceeded on to Madras. Lord Macartney had for¬ 
warded a supply of clothes to meet them; but there 
not being a sufficiency for all, some had one thing 
and some another; to Capt. Wilson’s share, a very 
large military hat fell, which, with a banian and 
pantaloons, with many a breach in them, made his 
meagre figure very much resemble a maniac, im¬ 
patient to revisit his friends, he walked on from the 
last halting place, and the Gentries hardly would 
let him pass. He hastened to a friend whose name 
was Ellis, inquired of the servants for their master 
and mistress. The footmen stared at him, and said 
they were not at home, and were shutting the door 
against him,«when he pressed in, rushed by them, 
and threw himself down on a sofa. The servants 
were Mahometans, w ho hold the insane in much rev¬ 
erence, and such they supposed him: and without 
any violence used to remove him, Captain Wilson 
was permitted quietly to repose himself, and being 
tired, he fell into a most profound sleep; in which 
state his friends on their return found him, and 
hardly recognized him he was so altered. They 


Ills EARLY YOUTH. 


27 

left him thus sound asleep till the evening, when the 
lustres were lighted, and several friends assembled, 
curious to hear the story of his miserable captivity. 
When he awoke and saw the glaie of light and the 
persons around him, he could scarce recover his re¬ 
collection, and for a moment seemed as if he had 
dropped into some enchanted abode. The welcome 
and kind treatment of his friends who supplied all 
his wants, soon restored him to his former life and 
spirits; and he began to think of new service, as he 
had yet obtained but a scanty provision, which his 
long captivity had not much increased, though he 
received the arrears of his pay He accordingly 
shipped himself as first mate of the Intelligence* 
Captain Pennington for Bencoolen and Batavia. 
In his passage they were surrounded with water 
spouts, one of which was very near, and they fired 
to disperse it. The roaring was tremendous, and 
presently a torrent poured on the ship, which brought 
down with it many fish and sea weeds, yet the wa¬ 
ter was perfectly fresh, a phenomenon singularly 
curious. 

During this voyage, the white ants and cock¬ 
roaches with other insects multiplied in the most 
prodigious manner, so that it was resolved to run 
the ship down from Bencoolen to Puley Bay, and 
lay her completely under w ater to get rid of the 
vermin. After a fortnight, they pumped her dry* 
and the quantity destroyed of these creatures, with 
centipedes, three or four inches long, w as incredible. 
Bencoolen was a most unhealthy place, but Puley 
Bay, is the region of the shadow of death; from 
thence none escape without the putrid fever. Per¬ 
haps the wetness of the ship added not a little to the 
cause of mortality. Before they left the bay every 
man of the crew who w-as a European, except Wil¬ 
son, died. The Captain came down well on Chr ist¬ 
mas day and only dined on board, and returned the 


*8 MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 

same night; the very next day he sickened and 
died. A recruit of black men was sent from Ben- 
coolen to navigate the vessel. The very day they 
sailed out of the harbor, Captain Wilson who had 
hitherto resisted the intemperature of the climate, 
and then commanded the vessel, was attacked with 
a fever. One Swede yet remained. He had al¬ 
ways accounted for the death of his companions, 
and imputed it to their imprudence. He had confi¬ 
dence he should escape. He was then at the helm 
going out of the harbor. The Captain, who though 
ill, kept the deck, observed the ship very badly 
steered, and called out. The Swede quitted the 
helm and sat down on the hen-coops. The Captain 
himself ran to the wheel to rectify the course, storm¬ 
ing at the man who had left the helm. He made no 
reply, but how great was his surprise when on going 
up to him he found him a corpse. The ship, however, 
visited Batavia, and arrived in Bengal; and though 
his health continued to suffer, the Captain made a 
very profitable voyage. 

During a year and a half he had repeated and 
dangerous relapses, and more than once approach¬ 
ed the gates of death. He continued, however, to 
improve his fortune, and became himself a sharer 
in the vessel as well as commander. 

It is worthy of remark how much the most im¬ 
portant circumstances of Captain Wilson’s life turn¬ 
ed upon apparently trivial occurrences. The last 
events attending his mercantile engagements were 
such as show the control of Providence over us and 
our affairs by an hand which we cannot see. The 
Captain was lying at anchor in port, with his vessel 
freighted, and ready for sea, hut where he and many 
others had been for some time wind-bound. Being 
on shore, spending the evening with a number of the 
merchants and captains of the vessels in the harbor, 
he met with something which greatly displeased 


HIS EARLY YOUTH. 


29 


him; he silently withdrew from the company, and 
instead of sleeping on shore as others did, and as he 
intended to have done, he called a boat, and went to 
his ship designing to sleep on board; hut soon after 
he was there, about midnight, the wind shifted near¬ 
ly to the opposite point of the compass. He imme¬ 
diately weighed anchor and sailed out of the harbor, 
and had the advantage of a fair wind and sufficient 
time to get down the river and get a good oiling. 
Before the other ships could get out of the river, the 
wind resumed its position and forced them back to 
their former anchorage, and though directly foul 
to those in port, was tolerably fair for Wilson. 
When he reached the port to which he was destined, 
the markets were much in want of the articles with 
which his ship was freighted, and there being no 
merchant to share the market with him, he obtained 
his ow n price for the greater part of his goods. For 
the same reason, the articles with which he freighted 
his vessel back, were cheap. With them he return¬ 
ed to the port from whence he first sailed after a 
month’s absence, and found the vessels wind-bound 
as before. Here also he obtained a ready and ad¬ 
vantageous sale for his goods; some congratulated, 
whilst others envied him, but all united in saying 
that Wilson was a fortunate man. By the double 
advantages of this favorable voyage, with what he 
had gained before, he obtained a sufficient sum to 
induce him to retire from business, and from the toils 
and dangers of the sea; he resolved therefore to re¬ 
turn to England, sit down content with what he had, 
and endeavor to recover his health, and enjoy 
himself. 

With this view 7 , he embarked as passenger, in the 
same ship in which that good man, Mr. Thomas, 
one of the Baptist missionaries, was returning from 
Bengal to England. With him he had frequent 
disputes about religion; and being as infidel in 


SO MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 

principle, as careless in conduct, lie could not but 
grieve this minister, who observed one day to the 
chief mate, that he should have much more hope of 
converting the Lascars to Christianity, than Cap¬ 
tain Wilson; so deeply mysterious are the ways of 
Providence. The things impossible to man, are pos¬ 
sible with God; but the time was not yet. 

Being safe arrived at Portsmouth, he looked 
around him for an agreeable abode, and having soon 
discovered such a one at Horndean, in Hampshire, 
he purchased it, and determined to sit down con¬ 
tented with the very moderate fortune which he had 
brought from India, and amuse himself with gar¬ 
dening and the sports of the country. Being un¬ 
married, he considered of a proper person to have 
the conduct of his house and family. He had a sen¬ 
sible and agreeable niece, whom he particularly de¬ 
sired to take this care upon her; she was a truly re¬ 
ligious woman, and when pressed hy him to come 
and liv$ with him, she informed him of her senti¬ 
ments, and her wish to attend the worship of God 
at the congregation of Portsea, to which she belong¬ 
ed. He very carelessly observed that to him this 
would be no objection; he should not disturb her 
about her religion; and provided she did not trouble 
him with it, he should leave her to herself. 

About two years he continued to live at Horn- 
dean, in the same careless unconcern about eternal 
things; decent in his conduct, and perfectly sober; 
amused with his garden, the sports, and company 
around him; but an utter stranger to the principles 
of the Gospel, and unacquainted with the power of 
them. 


IilS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


31 


PART II. 


From his conversion to Christianity , to his becoming 
the Captain of the Missionary ship Duff, 

The methods of Providence are inscrutable, but 
while they are directed by wisdom, they are charac¬ 
terized by benevolence. It was a merciful event for 
Captain Wilson, that the mind of bis niece had been 
enlightened and imbued with the spirit of truth, pre¬ 
vious to his return from India. This was to her a 
situation of many comforts, but as Horndean was 
ten miles from the place of worship she used to at¬ 
tend, and where she had received her first serious 
impressions, she felt it a great disadvantage to be de¬ 
prived of the public ordinances of God’s house, and 
this made her appear to him as though not happy. 
He was also associated with the fashionable persons 
in the neighborhood, whose conversation and habits 
were not congenial to her state of mind: he perceiv¬ 
ed this, and though he never made it the source of 
uneasiness to her, yet it rather marred his pleas¬ 
ures, and excited his surprise, that what he then 
considered as innocent amusements and gaieties, 
could afford her no pleasure. Her predilections, 
love of religious books, anxiety for divine worship, 
and evident solicitude for his spiritual welfare, had a 
preparatory influence on his mind; he pitied her 
weakness, as he considered it, but admired her in¬ 
tegrity; he perceived that she had her felicities, 
though they were not from his paradise. 


32 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


The operations of Providence, like those of na¬ 
ture, are often most interesting in their minutest 
parts, though not most observable. We see the 
hand of Deity in a thunder storm—but are unmind¬ 
ful of his influence in the dew of the morning. But 
what is true of the naturalist, is equally true of the 
judicious moralist and divine; the parts least noticed 
by the common eye, are those which most excite his 
investigation and astonishment. The most mo¬ 
mentous events of our lives often originate from 
those we consider the most trivial and accidental. 
This sentiment is represented to us, by Providence 
counting the hairs of our head, and directing the 
falling of the sparrow to the earth. 

Captain Sims, a gentleman who had for some 
years retired from the active duties of his profession, 
upon a respectable competency, resided near to 
Capt. Wilson. The habits of good neighborhood 
soon brought them into a friendly acquaintance. 
Captain Sims had for many years, for he was then 
in an advanced period of life, professed a zealous at¬ 
tachment to the principles of vital religion, and reg¬ 
ularly attended divine worship on the Sabbath, at 
Orange Street Chapel, Portsea. He had frequently 
introduced the subject of religion to his friend Cap¬ 
tain Wilson; but he was better acquainted with the 
interior of religion, than qualified to defend its out¬ 
works. The Indian Captain proudly defied the ar¬ 
tillery of his heavy denunciations against unbeliev¬ 
ers, and smiled at his iutreating him to abandon the 
standard under which he had so long fought, and 
to join affinity and allegiance with him. Captain 
Sims had realized the truth of that scripture, “he 
that believeth, hath the w itness in himself;” and hav¬ 
ing this in a good degree, he had employed his mind 
about the general evidences of a divine revelation, 
too little to meet the sceptical reasonings of his in¬ 
fidel neighbor. He cited scripture to prove that the 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


Captain’s principles were wrong, and the other re¬ 
quired evidence that the scriptures were right; and 
when he replied because they are the word of God, 
he smiled at his medium of proof, and felt himself at 
rest in the centre, while his friend was moving in a 
circle of argument. This may serve to shew 7 , that 
though it may not he equally necessary for all 
Christians to he deeply skilled in the defence of 
Christianity against the Deists, it is very necessary 
for all connected with the learned, polite, and milita¬ 
ry professions, among which classes the reading and 
thinking Deists are to be found, to be well acquaint¬ 
ed with the evidences in favor of a divine revela¬ 
tion, and to be tolerably skilled in the methods of 
argument. Our language abounds with excellent 
treatises on this subject, which may be recommend¬ 
ed with great propriety, yet as in military science, 
though the books of principles and technical arrange¬ 
ments are absolutely necessary, it will greatly de¬ 
pend upon the skill of the engineer, to combine and 
to apply his principles to the immediate circumstan¬ 
ces of the case, in order to insure the success of an 
enterprise;—so the Christian disputant will often 
find greater advantage in knowing well how to place 
his arguments in proof of Christianity, in the light 
most obvious to the person with whom he is con¬ 
versing, than by leaving the subject to the force of 
written arguments. Books cannot answer questions 
as they arise, nor shape the replies according to the 
innumerable variations of the subject in dispute. 
Captain Sims, conscious of his incapacity to defend 
the outworks of Christianity against the spirited at¬ 
tacks of the Indian Captain, retired to the citadel, 
and referred the contest to more skilful combatants. 
“The Christian Officer’s Panoply,” now intitled 
“The Christian Officer’s complete Armor,” W'rit- 
ten by that excellent man, the late General Burn, 
was recommended to Captain Wilson by his friend* 


34 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


The Captain looked at the title, but finding it related 
to the defence of Christianity, after keeping it some 
weeks, returned i(, not having read a single page. 
His friend asked him what he thought of the book; 
his jocose reply gave him to understand that lie 
thought the Major had the best of the argument; 
meaning that the deist personated by the Major, 
had the advantage of the Christian, represented by 
the Captain. This so completely foiled Captain 
Sims, that he admitted of a parley, and gave up the 
contest. The fact was, Captain Wilson had no de¬ 
sire for investigation, and preferred to have his 
mind kept in a state of easy indifference, rather than 
to be agitated by the important and rousing subjects 
of revelation. He had obtained an easy competency, 
w as about the age of thirty-six, possessed a cheer¬ 
ful mind, and a constitution unsubdued by an eastern 
climate. He was accustomed to company, and what 
worldly men call the cheerful habits of a man of 
fashion. The design w as formed in India of return¬ 
ing to his native country, according to the common 
phraseology, and as be expressed it, to enjoy him¬ 
self; it was therefore too soon for him to have bis 
mind disturbed by considerations about the moral 
government of the divine Being, a state of future 
retribution, and the methods of acceptance w ith God. 
His mind was elated bv recent prosperity, contrast¬ 
ed with a former train of most unparalleled misfor¬ 
tunes and inexpressible sufferings. His heart was 
not softened by personal affliction, nor broken by ad¬ 
versity; like the rich man in sacred history he said 
to his soul, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for thou hast 
goods laid up for many years." His mind was 
made callous by some years residence in India, that 
school of deism, that temple of virc^where Asiatic 
idolatry and European infidelity unite their baleful 
influence to obliterate a sense of the government of 
God from the human mind, and to transform the 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. S5 

man into a systematic rebel against Isis Maker. 
Bis mind was also deeply entrenched in his seif- 
complacent admiration of Isis own goodness; be con¬ 
sidered that he had so conducted himself in indos- 
tan as to merit the congratulations of his own mind, 
and to secure the righteous approbation of the 
Deity. He had behaved towards some connexions 
he had formed in India, in such a manner as induced 
him to glory in his own righteousness, and when 
compared with many of his countrymen in that part 
of the world, he considered that he ought to he cele¬ 
brated as a man of exalted virtue, rather than to he 
regarded as a sinner.—Besides all this he was un¬ 
der the influence of another, often fatal, mistake, as 
it is a serious preventative to reflection and convic¬ 
tion; his many near escapes from death, the rapid 
success attending his mercantile engagements, after 
being stripped of all he possessed, and the conscious 
integrity and goodness of his own heart, led him 
proudly to imagine that he w as a high favorite of 
the Deity. He had not sufficiently considered, that 
many of the greatest and most cruel tyrants of the 
earth, have often been wonderfully preserved amidst 
the most perilous circumstances, and extensively 
prosperous in the most unjust and oppressive enter¬ 
prises, and therefore his mode of reasoning w as very 
inconclusive. Such, however, was his state of mind, 
that it would be difficult to conceive of one more 
unlikely to be engaged by the subjects of revelation. 
There were numerous and mighty objections in his 
heart against receiving a book as a revelation from 
God, the design of which, was to teach him that his 
heart was deeplydepraved—that he had been a rein*! 
through life against his Maker,—that he had incur¬ 
red his sore displeasure, and must expect happiness 
in a future world solely from the unmerited mercy 
of him he had offended. He soon discovered these 
sentiments, from what he heard from his niece and 


56 


MEMOIRS Of CATTAIN WILSON, 


liis friend the Captain, lie perceived that if Chris¬ 
tianity were from God, his plan of life was alto¬ 
gether wrong, his estimate of himself erroneous, and 
Ills hopes of future felicity fallacious. He saw that 
he must abandon the romantic scheme of happiness 
which he had proposed to himself, must renounce 
the fond opinions he had entertained of his superior 
goodness, and must change his worldly maxims and 
the connexions he had formed, for those which ap¬ 
peared to him unsatisfying and disgusting. Some 
transient convictions like the flashes of lightning, 
which cross the way of the benighted traveller, 
would strike his conscience at intervals; hut what¬ 
ever his judgment might occasionally suggest in fa¬ 
vor of a serious investigation of the subject, his 
heart rose with indignant opposition to a senti¬ 
ment, that was at complete variance with the sys¬ 
tem of his whole life. 

It is worthy of remark, that though God has often 
disappointed the benevolent wishes of his people, 
in aiming to do good by some special method, he 
has caused the same object to be accomplished in 
some other way, and frequently by means which 
most clearly evince the superintending hand of 
Providence; perhaps for this reason, that the in¬ 
strument might not take the glory due to the effi¬ 
cient cause. 

Captain Sims invited the young minister, who offi¬ 
ciated at. the place of worship he was accustomed to 
attend, to spend a few days with him in the country, 
and Captain Wilson had invited a female friend of 
his niece from Portsea to spend a day w ith him, and 
by a coincidence of events, totally out of the sphere 
of any designed arrangements, the minister’s friend, 
Captain Sims, was engaged to dine with Captain 
Wilson, on the day when his minister visited him. 
On this casual circumstance turned the conversion 


IIIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


of Captain Wilson to God, and the commencement of 
the most endeared friendship between him and the 
minister, which lasted for twenty 3 ears, and contin¬ 
ued till death. 

While at the table, Captain Sims introduced the 
subject of the evidences of the divine authenticity of 
the Scriptures, to Captain Wilson, to which he 
pleasantly replied, “You know, Captain, I have 
foiled you on that subject;” but Captain Sims as 
pleasantly returned, “If I was not equal to the con¬ 
test, my minister is, and 1 refer the cause to him.” 
—The minister fearing that the Indian captain would 
suspect that he was present by some secret manage¬ 
ment of his friend, and that the way in which the 
subject was introduced would confirm it, and excite 
a prejudice in his mind, interfered rather seriously 
by saying to Captain Wilson, “Sir I am obliged by 
your polite attention to me, and it is not my wish to 
obtrude my sentiments upon the attention of anvgen- 
ytleman; 1 admit, the subject is of the greatest im¬ 
portance, and 1 am ready according to my abilities 
to defend it; yet [ think it too serious to com¬ 
port with the pleasant conversation of a dinner ta¬ 
ble.”—The Captain smiled at the gravity of the 
young minister, and jocosely rejoined, “it will be 
no obtrusion of the subject upon me, I assure you, 
sir, 1 am glad of the opportunity to converse on it, for 
I have never met with a clergyman yet, and I have 
conversed with several, that i could not foil in a 
quarter of an hour.” The minister now appealed to 
the company, if that were not a challenge that every 
man of honor under the color of his cloth, was hound 
to meet, and turning to Captain Wilson, said, “Sir, it 
will afford me great pleasure to enter into this inter¬ 
esting subject with you, hut I must beg a truce till 
we can honorably relax in our attention to the la¬ 
dies at the table.” This pleasantness of conveisa- 

#3 


38 MEMOIRS or CAPTAIN WILSON. 

tion interested the Captain, disarmed his prejudices, 
and drew him into the debate. It was then proposed 
by Captain Sims, that he should accompany the 
other friends at the table to his garden and pleasure 
grounds, and leave the minister and Captain to an 
uninterrupted argument. 

When the company had retired, Captain Wilson 
proposed that the minister and lie should resort to a 
shady bovver in his garden, in one of the finest even¬ 
ings that the month of July affords, and coolly de¬ 
bate whether the Scriptures are a revelation from 
God. The minister cheerfully acceded, and when 
they had taken their seats, with great seriousness 
entered into the conversation, having but a little be¬ 
fore gone through a course of reading on the eviden¬ 
ces of Christianity. The benign influence of a de¬ 
clining sun, rendered salubrious and cheering by 
the soft breezes which gently played amidst the 
pliant leaves of the bower, and wafted around them 
the delightful odors of an extensive flower garden, 
and a richly variegated green-house, served to calm 
the spirits and to elevate the thoughts to the God of 
providence and universal goodness, and offered to 
the minister’s mind a beautiful emblem of that inef¬ 
fable serenity and pleasure enjoyed by the regen¬ 
erated spirit, while regaling itself beneath the beams 
of the Sun of Righteousness, and the soul-reviving 
motions of the Spirit of God. In this frame of 
mind, with many fervent ejaculations to the Spirit of 
light and influence, he prayed unto his God—and he 
then said to the Captain, “Will you, Sir, propose 
your own mode of argument; if you will be opponent, 
I will be respondent; or if you will be respondent, I 
will be opponent; but let us be serious,—the sub¬ 
ject is of the greatest importance to us both, for if the 
Scriptures do not contain a revelation from God, there 
are no other writings in the world that do.” He 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


39 


at once admitted, that none of the writings of the Ma¬ 
hometans, the Hindoos, or the Chinese, would bear a 
comparison of claim to divine revelation with those 
contained in the Old and New Testament. If then, 
said the minister, they do not contain a revelation, 
there is none, and man is left to the dictates of his 
own judgment, for one man’s reason can be no ab¬ 
solute rule for another man’s .reason; and intelligent 
beings are left without a standard of judgment, or 
rule of moral science, or religious hope. He ac¬ 
knowledged the subject was serious, and that he meant 
to treat it as such, but declined a logical mode of rea¬ 
soning; and said, if you can remove the principal 
objections to the Scriptures being the word of God, 
1 will acknowledge them, and endeavor to conform 
my principles and conduct to them. These pre¬ 
liminary remarks produced an apparent seriousness, 
and a gcntleman-like mode of conversation, during 
near three hours very friendly intercourse. 

This conversation was recited by the minister to 
several of his fr iends, and communicated by letter to 
others of them, soon after it occurred, so that the 
relation which is here given of it, is not only sub¬ 
stantially true, but as verbally accurate, as the mem¬ 
ory was capable of retaining it, and as was suited to 
meet tlie public eye. 

It was stated by the minister, that it was unphi- 
losophical, and contrary to the acknowledged meth¬ 
ods of sound reasoning, to object to the truth of a 
proposition, because that truth contained some prin¬ 
ciples difficult to he comprehended. It is not the 
same as to say, 1 will not believe a proposition without 
sufficient evidence of its truth; but it is saying, I 
will not believe the truth of the proposition, how¬ 
ever strong and numerous the evidences to con¬ 
firm it, unless the nature of the truth contained in 
it is as obvious to my understanding, as the strength 
of the evidences by which this truth is established. 


40 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


Such a prejudice would be a mighty barrier to the 
obtaining knowledge in almost every science. 
There are innumerable principles in natural histo¬ 
ry, chemistry, and even in the mathematics, the 
truth or reality of which is proved by such incon¬ 
testable ev idences, that no one who is acquainted with 
them, can for a moment refuse his assent to the truth 
which these evidences- establish, though the truth 
itself contains inexplicable lirst principles. Vol¬ 
taire’s “Ignorant Philosopher’* was cited as a proof; 
a treatise, on which the philospher traces a variety 
of positions through their various evidences, as far 
as they will carry the mind, but which leave it in 
some first principle not within the sphere of our 
present strength of intellect, when he, as to every 
position, becomes “the ignorant philosopher.” It 
was also urged, that such a mode of objecting would 
apply with equal force against Deism as against 
Christianity, for it might as strongly be urged 
against many positions in natural as in revealed 
religion. By this mode of reasoning, the existence 
of moral evil, of the providence of God, and even of 
spirit as distinct from rnatler, and consequently a 
future state of being, may he denied, for each of 
these truths have vast difficulties connected with 
them, and yet many Deists admit the evidences 
by which these truths are established. It is there¬ 
fore unreasonable to object to enter into the eviden¬ 
ces on w hich the truth of revelation is founded, be¬ 
cause that truth is admitted to have difficulties con¬ 
nected with it. The Captain was asked how he 
would reply to an Atheist w ho should-object to some 
of the first principles of his system of natural relig¬ 
ion on the same ground; his smile indicated that lie 
felt himself pressed in the argument, and he said I 
would not refuse to go into an investigation of the 
evidences in favor of revelation, hut I think, that if 
the principal objections I feel against admitting the 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


41 


Scriptures to be the word of God, were removed, 
the evidences when presented in detail, would be re¬ 
ceived with the greater impartiality. The minis¬ 
ter perceived that though the Captain’s reason was 
in favor of the mode of argument proposed, his 
feelings did not appear to be controlled by his 
judgment, and that his feelings were those of habit 
and of long continuance, but bis reason was only the 
dash of conviction elicited by argument; he there¬ 
fore thought it best to meet his wishes and attempt 
to weaken his prejudices, by removing his objections. 
This is an object worthy of consideration in ail per¬ 
sonal debates upon moral and religious subjects, for 
the feelings of most men are more reluctant to fol¬ 
low the dictates of the understanding than the under¬ 
standing is to follow the dictates of truth. 

The Captain said, the objections were so many 
and so great in his mind, that it appeared next to 
impossible, that any evidences could satisfactorily 
prove to him that the Scriptures were from God. 
He was requested to state the objections, and after 
some conversation, the principal ones were reduced 
to the following:—That the Scriptures give an un¬ 
lovely representation of the divine character, con¬ 
trary to what appears from his conduct—that in¬ 
stead of removing the difficulties attending natu¬ 
ral religion, they increased them by requiring us to 
believe mysteries or truths, not within the sphere of 
our understandings—that what is assumed as a 
revelation from God-to the world, and as a sovereign 
remedy for all its intellectual errors and moral evils, 
had not, after so many thousand years, reached one 
tenth part of the inhabitants of the globe—that the 
magnitude of creation renders it altogether improb¬ 
able that the Supreme Being has conducted himself 
towards the inhabitants of tins comparatively insig¬ 
nificant spot of the universe, in the manner the 
Scriptures represent him to have done—and that 


42 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


Judaism and Christianity instead of being a benefit, 
had been an injury to the world. These, said the 
Captain, are the principal difficulties in my mind, 
could these be removed, the minor ones would in 
detail have but little influence, though connected 
with these and in the aggregate they are very 
weighty. 

These objections in various forms have often been 
made, and as often answered in a most satisfactory 
manner, said the minister, hut though it can hardly 
be expected that they can be fully discussed in the 
time of our conversation, 1 will put a few considera¬ 
tions before you, my dear Captain, that may weaken 
their force, if not fully remove them. 

in the first objection, you say the scriptures give 
an unlovely representation of the Deih—but let it 
he remembered that a character that would be very 
excellent in the esteem of one man, w ould be unlove¬ 
ly in the esteem of another; a disobedient son, an in¬ 
dolent servant, a criminal subject, would be very 
likely to think, that one was subject to an unkind 
father, the other to a bard master, and the third to a 
severe judge; though in the estimation of virtuous 
children, servants and subjects, they might each have 
an excellent character, it is affirmed by Christians, 
that God has given us bis own character, and that 
bis creatures are in a state of rebellion against him; 
no wonder tlien if they dislike the description he has 
given of himself. You, Sir, also admit the existence 
of moral evil, now are you sure that the character 
you deem a lovely one, is not a partial view of him, 
and if properly understood, would not want w hat is 
essential to every perfect character, consistency with 
itself? 

It is possible, replied the Captain, but it appears 
to me to be a self-evident proposition, that goodness 
and munificence form the principal characteristics 
of the Deity, and that lie loves his creatures as a 


HIS CONVERSION TO CIIS/STIANITY. 


43 


good father does all his children, with an equal af¬ 
fection—It is very natural for you, my good Cap¬ 
tain, said the minister, with such a comfortable res¬ 
idence, pleasant gardens, friends, and attentive ser¬ 
vants, to think that munificence is the character of 
the Deity; hut would it he as e sy in your applica¬ 
tion of the term munificence, to persuade some of the 
slaves in Africa, and in the mines of Peru, that such 
is his character? You are not, 1 perceive, of the 
class of Deists who admit the existence of the nat¬ 
ural attributes of Deity, such as wisdom and power, 
but deny his moral perfections, for you say his 
principal feature is that of goodness; but how does 
this agree with his conduct? Had not the facts been 
indisputable, would your system have suffered you 
to believe, that in a world of his rational creatures, 
he would have permitted a few ? to enslave the mass, 
and make a trade of millions of them from genera¬ 
tion to generation for their own benefit, and that a 
million of his creatures, because separated by some 
mountain or river, should exert the whole force of 
their mental and physical energies to destroy each 
other. I question if you will not perceive, upon a 
closer inspection, that facts are at variance with 
your principle; for though it is true that God is good, 
yet lie is just and holy also, and is a sovereign in 
the dispensations of his will; parts of the divine 
character, which the scriptures associate with his 
goodness, in order to give a complete whole, and 
form the character of the moral governor of the 
world. 

But, said the Captain, I cannot reconcile with my 
ideas of his character, the account the scriptures 
give of the commands of God to the Israelites, with 
respect to the nations around them; especially their 
destruction of the Canaanites.—These are matters 
of fact, replied the minister, and as such are parts of 
the divine government, in whatever view we con- 


44 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


template them, and must be accounted for upon 
your principles as well as mine, and so must the 
African slave trade. But the difficulty of account¬ 
ing for these things is greater on your system than 
mine, for the scriptures present us with a view of the 
supreme Ruler of the universe, dealing with a world 
of rebels in justice to make sin appear exceeding 
sinful, and in mercy, to make his goodness appear 
exceeding rich, but both according to the sovereign 
dispensation of his own will.—But surely, rejoined 
the Captain, it must be inconsistent with the charac¬ 
ter of God, for him to refuse the worship of one of 
his creatures, and accept that of another, because of 
a different mode of expressing it, as in the case of 
Cain and Abel; upon your system, Abel seems to be 
emblematic of the Christian, and Cain of all the 
world beside. What father having a number of 
children, who should go into an extensive flower 
garden, (pointing to that before him,) and each wish¬ 
ing to please the father by presenting, according to 
their own taste, the most beautiful nosegay, would 
not look at the design, instead of the comparative 
worth of the flowers, and manifest bis pleasure to 
them all. 

Your beautiful comparison, said the minister, is 
rather, I conceive, a begging of the question, my 
good Captain; you have presented to yourself and to 
me, a father who has left bis children without in¬ 
struction, as to what would please him. But sup¬ 
pose the father you have pictured, should, for 
the good of his family, maintain his own author¬ 
ity, and require of them, as a proof of their affection 
and obedience, that they should present to him a 
nosegay, composed of such flowers only as he should 
describe. Suppose also that some of them should 
take this prescribed rule, and endeavor to conform 
their nosegay as near to it as in their power, hut 
others of the family should neglect this prescribed 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


45 


rule, presume on their own judgment, and present 
such a nosegay as is contrary to his will; would not 
the father be just in rejecting the one, and receiving 
the other? This as a Christian is my case; our 
Father has appointed a rule for the sentiments of the 
understanding, for the dispositions of the heart, and 
the actions of life, and it is to this rule, every one to 
whom it has been made known, is bound studiously 
to conform. 

Here the Captain seeming to shew that he felt 
the application of the subject, the minister’s heart 
glowed with benevolence, and flushed with the hope 
of a final triumph, he said in rather plaintive accents. 
My dear sir, have you ever endeavored to bring 
your system to bear on your own case? Are good¬ 
ness, benevolence, and kindness, the principal fea¬ 
tures of the divine character? then the scriptures 
are the word of God. Are you absolutely certain of 
possessing a state of future existence? If >ou should, 
will it be to you a state mixed with pains and pleas¬ 
ures, like the present, or of all pain, or ad pleas¬ 
ure?—Will it be for a certain period, or for ever? 
Are not these questions which every one would glad¬ 
ly have so answered as to leave his mind at rest? 
May not your mind, in old age or under heavy af¬ 
fliction, become more anxious than it is now, and 
may it not become so anxious, that all the other 
gilts of Providence would be comparative trifles to 
his giving you some way of being satisfied, as to 
these interesting personal inquiries? The minister 
waiting an answer, he said, Surely. His friend re¬ 
joined, Is there any way by which you can come to 
a certainty on these subjects? He replied, with my 
views there is no method of obtaining an absolute 
certainty. Then, replied his friend. Is this a proof of 
the goodness of God, to leave you in a state of the most 
awful uncertainty, on subjects so closely connected 
with your greatest happiness? Is this a mark of good- 
4 


46 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN" WILSONS 


ness, to give you the dim light of reason, which, 
like that of the glow-worm, only serves to make the 
surrounding darkness more visible, and to refuse 
that light, which he could give, to remove your 
darkness? To give you a conscience capable of tor¬ 
menting you, without the method of having it ap¬ 
peased, or of knowing whether he will pardon, and 
if some sins, how many, and on what conditions— 
thus the subject will not bear looking at, the further 
you go, the more the mind is perplexed.—What! 
and is this the system that is founded upon the good¬ 
ness of God? No, my dear Captain, it is revelation 
that exhibits his goodness, here he meets the anx¬ 
ious mind. Life and immortality are brought to 
light by the gospel. Christ is the way, the truth, 
and the life; the meek will he guide in judgment, 
and the meek will he teach his way—Come, doctor, 
said the Captain, you are preaching now, not reason¬ 
ing. 

What will you say to my other objection; the 
scriptures require me to believe mysteries?—I admit, 
replied the minister, that the scriptures contain a 
varieiy of truths which may be considered as mys¬ 
terious, but they are not more so than a number of 
principles which are commonly received by philos¬ 
ophers. The term mystery sometimes implies a 
truth which was once hidden but is now revealed, 
but the common acceptation of the term, and the 
sense in which it is frequently used in the scriptures, 
implies a principle or matter of fact made known by 
revelation, but which contains something in its na¬ 
ture, mode of existence, or degree, which lies beyond 
the sphere of our comprehension, and therefore call¬ 
ed a mystery; not that the doctrine or the matter of 
fact is hidden, for this would be a solecism, but that 
there is something connected with it which is hidden. 
There are innumerable truths you believe, not be¬ 
cause you comprehend them, but because the eviden- 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 4 7 

ces of their existence are so numerous and so strong, 
that you cannot refuse your assent to them. You 
believe in animal and vegetable vitality, not because 
you understand what vitality is, but from its reality 
being so obvious to your senses, that it is impossible 
to deny it. You believe that matter was formed out 
of nothing, not because you have any power of con¬ 
ceiving how what is, can be formed out of what was 
not, but because, knowing that matter exists, you 
conclude that it must either have been eternal or 
created; and the latter, according to your philosoph¬ 
ical sentiments, is of the two the most probable; 
You believe the eternity and immensity of the divine 
Being, but no finite mind can comprehend what is 
infinite; if therefore the inspired volume contains a 
variety of truths which lie beyond the sphere of our 
limited capacity, it is rather an evidence of its divine 
authenticity than against it. 

I do not believe, said the Captain, what is contrary 
to the nature of things, if 1 believe some truths 1 do 
not fully comprehend. Your Bible, according to the 
opinion of the great majority of Christians, calls up¬ 
on me to believe the doctrine of the Trinity in unity, 
and this is so contrary to reason, that 1 have hardly 
patience to attend to evidences which attempt to 
prove such an absurdity, as that three are one and 
one is three, and that the book which contains such 
preposterous positions is the word of God.—1 have 
admitted, said the minister, that the scriptures con¬ 
tain some truths which are not explained, and there¬ 
fore it would be unwise to attempt to explain what is 
inexplicable. But I think you must admit, that 
none can understand the divine Being but himself, 
and that if it could be proved that he had revealed 
himself to his creatures, that they would be under ob¬ 
ligation to believe the description he had given of 
himself, though they could not understand the mode 
ofhis existence. Is it not therefore too assuming, to 


48 


MEMOIRS OR CAPTAIN WILSON. 


make our judgment of the divine Being a standard, 
by which to try the evidences of a revelation from 
God to man? for upon such a principle it would be 
impossible for the divine Being to make a revelation 
of himself to his creatures, supposing that there is 
any thing in the nature of his existence incompatible 
w ith our modes of reasoning. Besides, 1 question if 
you are quite correct, when you say that you believe 
nothing that is contrary to the dictates of your own 
understanding. Do you not, suffer me to ask you, 
believe that God is every where psesent, in the most 
strict and philosophical sense of the word? and yet 
do you not as firmly believe that there are innumer¬ 
able worlds of matter in the universe, and also innu¬ 
merable spirits, who are distinct, intelligent, free 
agents? \Vhat power of reasoning is your mind en¬ 
dued with, by w hich it can reconcile to itself these 
two opposite propositions? can two beings, wo sub¬ 
stances, occupy exactly the same space, at the same 
time? If you believe the other two propositions, you 
must also believe that they can; but is not this con¬ 
trary to your mode of reasoning, or as far as your 
perceptions go, contrary to the nature of things?— 
But, said the Captain, there is something in the na¬ 
ture of spirit, and even of space, that we do not un_ 
derstand—True, my good sir, said the minister; 
why then prescribe a modus of being to what you do 
not understand, and make your reasoning a standard, 
by which you are to determine what is the nature of 
the divine existence. 

The doctrine of the unity of the Deity, is most 
clearly the doctrine of the scriptures, but however 
now it may appear to us to be a self-evident position, 
yet remember how many ages it had to struggle w ith 
the reasonings of men, before it obtained extensive 
belief, and even now how much it has to contend 
with in order to obtain universal reception. It was 
contrary to the reason of the ancients, seeing there 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


49 


Were so many opposite principles in the universe, 
both moral and physical that there should be but one 
God. The belief of the plurality of deities, was 
general through all nations; they had therefore the 
force of universal opinion, and the apparent unreason¬ 
ableness of supposing, that the opposite principles of 
good and evil in the universe, could comport with the 
idea of there being but one God, to oppose to the doc¬ 
trine of Moses, the prophets and of Christ, concern¬ 
ing the unity of the Deity. I mention this, to shew 
bow dangerous it is, to make our ideas of the nature 
of the divine existence a reason for refusing to ex¬ 
amine the claims of the scriptures to be a revelation 
from God: for had men always acted under the in¬ 
fluence of this principle, might not the doctrine of 
the divine unity, have been still treated as an absur¬ 
dity? After waiting for an answer, the minister said, 
AVhat have you to reply to these considerations?— 
My object was not to make you a Deist, returned the 
Captain, and therefore go on.—Your third objection, 
I think, said the minister arises from revelation not 
having yet been made universally known.—Yes, 
said the Captain, it appears most probable, that had 
the scriptures been a revelation from God, he would 
for the same reason that he made it known to some, 
have made it known to all; for it can neither be a 
rule of duty, nor a remedy for misery, where it is 
not made known, and so far can be of no use.—It is 
not denied, my dear Sir, that the want of the univer¬ 
sal diffusion of revelation is a serious evil to the 
world; but may not the objection you now urge, 
have been one cause of preventing its becoming uni 
versa!; if your argument is valid, it never can be¬ 
come so, for if all men refuse to examine its claims 
to divine authenticity till if is universally known, it 
is morally impossible it should ever be received by 
the whole world, for the objection would present an 
insuperable barrier to its general reception. This 
*4 


50 


MEMOIRS OT CAPTAIN WILSON. 


is reasoning in a circle, and terminates in absurdity; 
it is in fact to say, it ought not to be universally re¬ 
ceived, till it is universally received. Besides any 
revelation must haveclaimsto universal reception, an¬ 
tecedently to its being universally received. Should 
news reach this country from the East Indies, for in¬ 
stance, authenticated by the strongest evidence of its 
truth and yet should every one refuse to receive it a 
truth till all had received it as such, is it not obvious 
that in such a case no one would receive it as truth? 

But perhaps your objection supposes, that if God 
gave a revelation of his will to man, there is some¬ 
thing in the nature of his character and of his moral 
government, which wouid justify us in concluding, 
that he would at the same time make the discovery 
to all. This, to say nothing of the impropriety of 
thus prescribing rules to the Sovereign of the uni¬ 
verse, and of its being unsupported by the analogy 
of the divine government is extremely inconsistent in 
a Deist, for he professes that God has given a revela¬ 
tion of himself in his works; and yet there were not, 
for many ages, as many Deists at any one time, as 
would fill a large church, the whole world being de¬ 
voted to Polytheism, and even now the number of 
Deists is very small compared with the number of 
Christians, and still smaller compared with the num¬ 
ber of Pagans. You must therefore admit, either that 
God has written his character so illegibly in his 
works, that it is vastly difficult to read it, or that 
men have been obstinately blind to it, so that the 
discovery has produced no extensive good. The ob¬ 
jection ought therefore to have no weight with you, 
Sir, because the same would apply with more than 
equal force against your system from either an 
Atheist or a Pagan. I see no alternative for you 
upon your own argument, but either to admit the 
principles of Atheism or Paganism, or to go calmly 
into the evidences of Christianity. You have got to 


MIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


51 


windward of me here, 1 confess, said the Captain, 
but go on. 

Had revelation been communicated to all men 
intuitively in the first instance, its universality could 
have been no reason for their receiving it as such, 
for this could not have been known to the individual 
at the time, and had it been so, it must have been a 
conclusion resulting from the deduction of argument, 
and therefore not from intuitive knowledge; thus 
your objection involves a moral impossibility. Be¬ 
sides an intuitive revelation to all, seems incompat¬ 
ible with our state of moral agency. To answer the 
end of a revelation, it must not only be addressed to 
our intellects, but to our hearts, and as such it puts 
the persons where it comes into a new state of pro¬ 
bation. That the scriptures are not yet universally 
known is one evidence of the truth of some of the 
great principles which they contain, for they de¬ 
scribe men as in a state of rebellion against their 
Maker, and not liking to retain God in their 
thoughts. It is not a matter of surprise that men 
should make objections against the divine origin of 
a book which contains rules to which they have no 
wish to be conformed, motives of action they never 
feel, denunciations of judgments against sins to 
which they are strongly attached, both by inclina¬ 
tion and habit. Suppose a vast body of individuals, 
had revolted f om their allegiance to a rightful 
sovereign, and from obedience to the most just and 
equitable laws formed for the good of the whole, and 
suppose that a proclamation were sent into the camp 
of these rebels, describing the excellence of their 
Prince, the purity of his laws, the heinousness of 
their crimes, the punishments w hich awaited the in¬ 
corrigible, and offering them pardon solely on the 
ground of the mercy of the sovereign, whose 
character, laws and service they hated, would it not 
be natural to expect that such a proclamation would 


52 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


be treated with neglect—that its reception would be 
opposed, and its plotters despised. But suppose 
that a few should repent of their conduct, admire the 
character of him they bad offended, and the laws 
they had broken, and try to convince others in the 
camp of their folly and crimes, and persuade them to 
accept of mercy; what treatment might such expect, 
while the camp was well supplied with provisions 
and in no material difficulty? Would it not he a long 
time before they would obtain universal attention, 
and the proclamation universal reception; but would 
this opposition and partial reception of the procla¬ 
mation he any argument, either against the excel¬ 
lency of its principles, or the authenticity of its 
origin? But once more, suppose that after the sove¬ 
reign had patiently borne with their provocation for a 
long time, and had used various methods to bring 
them back to their allegiance, they, instead of sub¬ 
mitting to his authority, should infer from his for¬ 
bearance, either that he was inattentive to their con¬ 
duct or that he approved of it, and should therefore 
persevere in their rebellion, notwithstanding all that 
bis proclamation contained; would it not be a part of 
bis righteous administration to accomplish that by 
his power which had not been effected by his clemen¬ 
cy. But if, when they were brought to judgment, 
some of them should set up as a plea, that though 
they had heard of the proclamation and might have 
read its contents, yet as it was not universally receiv¬ 
ed by the camp, they had refused to inquire into its 
authenticity, or submit to its proposals; would not 
such a plea rather aggravate their criminality, than 
extenuate it? I was going to say, my dear Captain, 
I will leave you to make the application, but it w ould 
not become the profession ] make, nor the office I 
sustain, were I not in friendship to make it myself; 
indeed I am persuaded you will not be offended' with 
me for doing so, for it must appear to you as a 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY 1 . 


5S 


species of hypocrisy in me, to profess to believe the 
truth and importance of revelation, and not be ear¬ 
nestly desirous that others also should believe in its 
divine origin and participate in its benefits. Does 
it not then become you, Sir, seriously to consider, 
that however some may plead before the tribunal of 
their Maker, that they have never had an opportuni¬ 
ty to investigate the claims or the subjects of the 
scriptures, you will not be able to make this plea. 
Let me therefore entreat you patiently to examine 
their evidences and study their contents. 

Certainly, said the Captain, I cannot be offended 
with your good wishes for me, however unnecessary 
I may think them, for surely it becomes the charac¬ 
ter you sustain, zealously to defend and enforce the 
principles you think of such vast importance to the 
interests of men. Indeed I have often been surprised 
to find some of your character who profess to believe 
the Christian religion to be a reality, act as though 
they thought it- a fable; while some persons that I 
know believe it to be a fable, act as though they 
thought it a reality. 1 am sorry, said the minister, 
there are so many of the first class, and so very few 
of the second. But if you please, I will proceed to 
your fourth objection, which is drawn from the 
extent or magnitude of creation. 

It appears highly improbable said the Captain, 
that the inhabitants of this comparatively insignifi¬ 
cant spot of the works of God, should receive that 
kind of attention described in the scriptures, when 
the globe' we inhabit, probably bears a less propor¬ 
tion to the universe, than an orange bears to the 
solar system. When we see that the water and the 
air are full of animation and that vegetables and an¬ 
imals are little worlds, covered with inhabitants, is 
it not natural to suppose, that the globes, which 
float in the boundless extent of space around us are 
also inhabited? And when we consider, that our 


54 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


sun is the centre of a system, with planets like our 
earth, and some of them much larger, revolving 
round it; is it not probable that the fixed stars are 
suns to other systems? Besides our glasses discover 
other suns far beyond the sphere of our eyes; and 
hence could we take our standing on the most re¬ 
mote star that our best glasses discover in the east, 
and then on another, the most remote in the oppo¬ 
site direction in the west, it is probable others would 
be discovered from each of these, as far beyond 
them, as they are beyond us, and then we might be 
no nearer the bounds of creation, than we are on this 
earth. Now that a Being, possessed of** such vast, 
(to us boundless dominions,) should speak and act as 
though all his other works were made for the inhab¬ 
itants of this little spot; and that he who made and 
governs all, should unite himself with human nature, 
and die to restore men to happiness, seems so much 
beyond the bounds of probability, that I wonder how 
any man of a philosophical mind, can believe these 
things. 

This objection, has in my view of the subject, so 
many weak parts, said the minister, that I know 
not on which to fix my attention first. I must how¬ 
ever, correct one part of your objection before 1 re¬ 
ply to the other, by observing that the scriptures no 
where represent that all the works of God were 
made for the benefit of man, nor that any of them 
were made exclusively for his advantage. 1 do not 
deny some of your probabilities; it may be true that 
the stars are suns, and these suns have planetary sys¬ 
tems, and these systems are all inhabited, but it may 
be useful to remind you, that these are only prob¬ 
abilities and not certainties. It is from one train of 
probabilities that you deduce another, so that the 
probabilities urged against the truth of revelation 
are not deductions from known facts: this to a 
philosopher, (that is to a man of close reasoning,) 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


55 


must very much weaken the objection. To proba¬ 
bility then i would oppose probability, and thus 
poise your objection, or as 1 think turn the scale 
against it. The probabilities in favor of revelation 
to be deduced from the minuteness of the works of 
God, are [ think equal both in number and weight 
to those which form the objection to revelation, 
arising from the magnitude of his works. When I 
perceive that he who has adjusted the spheres even 
to a grain, has regulated their motions to a second, 
has also adjusted the minutest parts of the animal 
structure, and has formed the minutest adaptation of 
parts and principles, to the accomplishment of some 
design.— When 1 perceive the eye is adapted t© light, 
and the ear to the vibration of the air, the lungs for 
respiration, the heart for pulsation, and the stomach 
for digestion, in short, the whole animal economy 
adapted to the purposes of human life, and also that 
this adaptation is carried to the smallest fly and in¬ 
sect and even to the microscopic animalcule;—when 
I thus perceive the minute attention of the divine 
Being to the operation of matter, the probability to 
me is, that he is not less attentive to the operations 
of mind; when I perceive that all these arrange¬ 
ments are connected with animal or human happi¬ 
ness, the probability is, that he who has been so 
kindly attentive to my body, has not neglected 
the soul,—that he who has given light to the 
eye, has given truth for the understanding; and 
when 1 perceive that the scriptures contain princi¬ 
ples as suited to the comfort of my mind, as food 
is suited to the sustenance of my body, the proba¬ 
bility is, that these truths are from God, because I 
feel that there is as pleasing an adaptation between 
these truths and my state and condition of mind, as 
between food and hunger,light and the power of vision. 

But to me, the magnitude of his works suggests 
some probabilities in favor of revelation, as well as 


56 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON* 


the minuteness of them. We can only know the 
divine Being by his conduct. I can conceive of 
his power only by what he has done; and when I 
perceive the greatness of that power by the number 
and magnitude of his works, the probability is, that 
He who has seen fit to display his power in creating 
such boundless works, and such astonishing wisdom 
in the management of them, would for the same rea¬ 
sons, magnify his condescension, goodness and mer¬ 
cy, by some method corresponding with that, by 
which he displayed his wisdom and power; and 
where is this so fully to be seen as in those scrip¬ 
tures which say, u God so loved the world that he 
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believ- 
eth in him should not perish, but have everlasting 
life?” Now my dear Captain, I will go with you 
as far as my mind can reach in contemplating the 
magnitude of creation, because I have before me an 
event which fills me with as much astonishment at 
his loving kindness and tender mercy, as all his 
works fill me with astonishment at his power. Phi¬ 
losophy presents a magnificent display of the great¬ 
ness of God, but the scriptures give us also a grand 
display of his goodness. In this view therefore 
probability is in favor of revelation. 

There is another view in which the magnitude of 
creation suggests some probabilities in favor of 
Christianity. In proportion as we think of the ex¬ 
tent of the works of the divine Being, so we view 
the greatness of their author, and in proportion to 
the greatness of the Being offended is the enormity 
of the offence. You believe in the existence of mor¬ 
al evil, and does not your reason suggest, that to 
offend such an Almighty Being places you in most 
fearful circumstances; for what might be expected 
of such a Being hut that he wmuld vindicate his in¬ 
jured justice, and if you contemplate the greatness of 
his power in the magnitude of his works, are not 


1113 CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


57 


these calculated to fill the mind with terror for fear 
of his judgments? Your objection against the truth 
of the scriptures, arising from the greatness of God, 
might in different circumstances of the mind be turn¬ 
ed against yourself as a two-edged sword; for were 
it deeply impressed with the magnitude of sin and 
terrified with fearful apprehensions of divine dis¬ 
pleasure, when under some heavy affliction and in 
the prospect of death, your train of probability 
would suggest, that lie is too great a Being to listen 
to your prayers or notice the sufferings of such an 
insignificant creature as man, and thus without a 
revelation you might be left in perplexity and shut 
up in despair. 

In your estimate of the magnitude of creation, you 
seem to lose sight of the superior excellence of in¬ 
telligence, to that of matter. The sun and the whole 
system of worlds around it have no consciousness of 
their own existence, they know not the Being that 
formed them, nor for what end they were created. 
The inhabitants therefore of this earth, considered 
as intelligent creatures, are of more importance in 
the scale of being than all the innumerable worlds 
of matter God has made. Nothing about which we 
arc conversant has it ultimate end in itself, every 
thing terminates in something beyond it; yet every 
thing in nature and every operation of matter, ap¬ 
pears either directly or remotely to centre in the 
good of man. Is it probable then that infinite wis¬ 
dom has left man in this world of uncertainty with¬ 
out a guide, that he has left him without the means 
of obtaining any tolerable certainty about a future 
state, and the favor and pardon of bis Creator? 
When we observe an extensive range of scatfolding, 
is it in the order of probability that he who has erect¬ 
ed it. means to neglect the building? or when we 
see a person has erected a large mansion, that he 
means to neglect his family? or would not such a 
5 


58 


ME MO Hi S OF CAFTAIN WILSON. 


fact lead us to suppose that he had done every thing 
necessary to shew his concern for their present and 
future happiness? Is not probability therefore aris¬ 
ing from the works of God, in favor of the scrip¬ 
tures being a revelation from him, since they assure 
us of the reality of a future state, and inform us how 
we may escape his anger and participate his favor. 
But before I quit this objection, it is necessary I 
should observe, that though this train of reasoning 
is in favor of revelation, yet the scriptures do not 
rest their claim to a divine origin upon probabili¬ 
ty. Your objection opposes probability to fact, and 
we who defend revelation, oppose facts to your prob¬ 
abilities; and I hope you will give the great facts 
on which the magnificent and beautiful fabric of 
Christianity is built, all that serious consideration 
w hich the importance of the subject demands. Well, 
said the Captain, your reasoning puts the subject in 
a more favorable light; but how do you account for 
it then that the principles of the scriptures have done 
so little good in the world, and have been the cause 
of so much superstition, tyranny and bloodshed? 

You appear, said the minister, to take these things 
for granted as though they were self-evident posi¬ 
tions, but I must beg leave to deny the statement. 
Christianity has done vast good in the world, and 
lias not, properly considered, been the cause of su¬ 
perstition, tyranny, or cruelty. It is certainly much 
to be lamented, that men for ambitious purposes, un¬ 
der a mask of religion, have invented superstitious 
observances to divert the attention of men from their 
just rights, and have persecuted myriads with un¬ 
relenting severity, for daring to think for themselves; 
but I think you w ill admit that this was done from 
political motives; and nothing can be a stronger 
proof that these things cannot be fairly attributed 
to the principles of Christianity than the Catholics 
having prohibited the people from reading the scrip- 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


59 


tures. Who does not perceive that had Christianity 
justified their conduct they would most readily have 
circulated the sacred book in defence of themselves? 
To the New Testament, to the conduct of Christ and 
his apostles, and of the primitive Christians we ap- 
* peal for proof of the mild and holy nature of Chris¬ 
tianity, and boldly challenge the world to an impar¬ 
tial investigation, whether the vile practices of the 
European, falsely called Christian states, can be 
fairly attributed to the principles or examples re¬ 
corded in the New Testament. Can any thing be 
more opposite to their conduct than the language of 
Christ! “My kingdom is not of this world, else 
would my servants fight. He that taketh the sword, 
shall perish by the sword. Bless them that curse 
you, do good to them that despitefully use you and 
persecute you, bless and curse not. I say unto you, 
love your enemies. If you forgive not men their 
trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father for¬ 
give you.” It is evident to every one, that since 
the scriptures have been more freely circulated and 
more generally read, the state of society in Europe 
and the world, is gradually increasing in ameliora¬ 
tion. The Captain said, smiling, you certainly have 
a happy knack of getting rid of a difficulty. When 
I object to the mystery of your principles you refer 
to your practice; and when I refer to the bad prac¬ 
tice of the votaries of Christianity you refer to your 
principles. Notwithstanding your pleasantry, my 
good Captain, said his friend, I am persuaded, how¬ 
ever indignant you feel, and not more so than I do, 
at the conduct of those who have disgraced the Chris¬ 
tian name by their unjust and cruel conduct, you 
do not believe that it is fairly to be .attributed to the 
principles of Christianity. This, however, is only 
the negative part of the subject, but there are, I 
think, strong positive evidences that the Gospel has 
proved an extensive blessing to the world. In or- 


60 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


der to see this truth in a strong light, we should con¬ 
template the ancient state of the world where revela¬ 
tion had not reached. AYe should consider the in* 
efficiency of all the events of Providence—the vari¬ 
ous and changing systems of philosophy—the nu¬ 
merous codes of civil and criminal laws, and the 
almost infinite modes and principles of religion, to af¬ 
fect any material amelioration of the state of man. 
AYe should also compare those parts of the world, 
now, where Christianity has not been received, with 
those where it has been suffered to have its unre¬ 
strained and native influence. 

AYouid our time admit, I hope T could prove to 
you, from the various evidences of historic facts, 
that Christianity has been the cause of abolishing 
the practice of human sacrifices. There can be no 
reasonable doubt, but that numbers of human be¬ 
ings were sacrificed every year, both in Britain and 
in various parts of the continent of Europe, as the 
effect of their false religion; but Christianity has 
long since trodden down their cruel altars, and 
thrown away their bloody knife. It has restored 
women to their proper station in society, and has 
thus tended to render one half of the inhabitants 
happy, and by them to soften the maimers and pro¬ 
mote the happiness of the other half. The sacred 
institution of marriage has been sanctioned and 
guarded by the Christian principles; divorce ren¬ 
dered difficult and unattainable, but for the high 
crime of adultery: females and children arc thus 
protected, and the great and depopulating vices kept 
in check by the laws and manners diffused from the 
Christian code. 

Slavery, that awful proof that man is a tyrant to 
man, that bane of human happiness, that disgrace to 
civilized nations, owes its abolition in Europe to the 
mild and equitable laws of Christianity. Even in 
the best days of Rome, according to Gibbon, two 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


61 


thirds of the population of the whole empire were 
slaves to the other third. The cruel manner in 
which they were treated is written in lilies of blood, 
on the historic page of almost every province. Eng¬ 
land and every nation of thecontincnt had its market 
for slaves, as well as for cattle, till the Gospel diffus¬ 
ed milder principles into our laws and usages. It is 
to the influence of Christianity we owe the advanced 
state of civilization in Europe, beyond the ether 
part of the world, and where it has had the most 
extensive and unrestrained operation, there is the 
most improved and happy state of society. These, 
my dear sir, are known and public facts, which you 
can account for upon no other principles than those 
enforced from the Christian code. Besides, the 
happiness which the Gospel has afforded to myriads 
of families, and to millions of individuals, is such as 
no other religion ever has afforded, or can afford. 

i begin to infer from your silence, said the min¬ 
ister, either that you grow tired of the conversation, 
or that you feel your objections giving way. I 
will relieve you from that suspicion, said the Cap¬ 
tain, for I assure you I never was more interested 
in a conversation in my life, and if our friends do 
not come to interrupt us, 1 shall be happy, after w hat 
you have said iu reply to my objections, to know 
how you prove that the scriptures are a revelation 
from God: hut before you do that, there is one 
thing more that 1 should like to have your remarks 
on, which has often occurred to me as being very 
unaccountable; if Christianity contain a divine rev¬ 
elation, how is it that there is such a diversity of 
opinions among those who believe it to be the word 
of God? There are as many opposite sentiments 
as there are pages, and almost as many sects as 
sentiments, and how then am I to know what is 
right? 


#5 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN" WILSON, 


62 


Here, my dear sir, I would as before, apply what 
is t ailed the urgumentum ad hominem , the objection 
will more fully apply to your system as a Deist, than 
to mine; you believe in natural religion, as it is 
called, but 1 question if you could find a number 
sufficient to make a good congregation of your own 
Sentiments among all the Deists living; nay, ( 
question if you do not differ among yourselves, as 
much as we do from each other; for though you may 
have a few sentiments that are fixed, the far greater 
part are as floating and mutable as the clouds. 
Among all the Deists that have ever written, there 
are not two that have agreed upon even the outlines 
of the system of natural religion. Hut 1 imagine the 
real differences among Christians are fewer than 
you suppose. Some of the opinions in which they 
differ are about such comparative trifles, that they 
bear no proportion to the sentiments in which they 
agree. Revelation, though it exhibits great and 
sublime truths, does not afford supernatural powers 
of intellect to preserve all who receive it from the 
possibility of any error, but it proposes them to 
the minds of men in the state it finds them; and when 
it is considered what a diversity of degrees there is 
in the strength of human reason, w hat an undetected 
influence the dispositions of the heart have over the 
decisions of the understanding, and how deep and 
extensive are the prejudices of education, it is not a 
matter of surprise that there should be differences 
of opinion on subjects so various and numerous, as 
those contained in revelation. Besides, it should 
he remembered, that many who profess to believe 
Christianity are not under the influence of its doc¬ 
trines, and no wonder that their pride, evil passions, 
and worldly spirit, should induce such persons to 
explain them away. You ask, how shall I know 
among such a diversity of sentiments, what is right? 
1 reply, the Scriptures do not lay you under ohliga- 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


63 


tion to be guided absolutely by tbe opinions of any: 
you are to exercise your own faculties, and form your 
own opinion from tbe Scriptures themselves, and 
they assure you, the meek or the humble will he 
teach in judgment, and the meek will He guide in 
the way. Learn of me, said Christ, tor I am meek 
and lowly, and you shall find rest to your souls. If 
the heart be truly under the influence of the great 
truths of the Gospel, the judgment will not be es¬ 
sentially and finally wrong. I believe that no one 
ever examined the Scriptures with a sincere desire 
to know the w ill of God, with humility of spirit, wil¬ 
ling to. receive whatever God has revealed, and 
with perseverance in prayer to God to be guided 
right, that has been finally wrong. The scriptures 
say every thing calculated to humble pride, but eve¬ 
ry thing suited to encourage humility. Where men 
agree about the spirit and temper of the Gospel, and 
feel its influence, they readily agree to differ on sub¬ 
jects of minor importance. 

As we cannot expect our friends to give us much 
more leisure, I can but state the leading particulars 
of the evidences of revelation. The method I have 
proposed to myself in a recent course of reading has 
been to consider, first , w hether deism is sufficient to 
answer the great purposes of religion. It is inef¬ 
fectual to bring the mind, the conscience, and the 
heart to a state of rest and satisfaction. It is defi¬ 
cient in strong and clear motives to produce a holy 
life, and appears obviously unequal to effect any ex¬ 
tensive moral change in tbe state of man. The 
principles, conduct, and dying experience of the 
prominent Deists, are for the most part unlovely and 
repulsive. They treat the divine Doing and all se¬ 
rious subjects with an irreverence and levity highly 
unbecoming their importance; and the manner of 
their death has generally been such as w ill bear no 
comparison with the death of a vast cloud of Chris- 


64 


MEMOIRS or CAPTAIN WILSON. 


tian witnesses, for unfeigned resignation, manly for¬ 
titude, a cheerful willingness to die, and a confident 
expectation of future felicity. Leland’s View of the 
Deistical writers, and Halyburton’s inefficacy of Nat¬ 
ural Religion, elucidate and confirm these and vari¬ 
ous other considerations. 

The next subject of investigation, is the necessity 
of a revelation from God. This, and the inefficien¬ 
cy of Deism, it is admitted, are only preliminaries 
to the subject of inquiry, but they help the mind, and 
predispose it to a more impartial investigation of the 
evidences. 

The history of the heathen world sufficiently 
proves the absolute necessity of a revelation from 
God, to make known the attributes and will of the 
Deity, and to teach the reality, and explain the na¬ 
ture of the divine government. Pagans had no just 
views of Providence, and many of the Deists deny it; 
the Scriptures alone give us a correct and consoling 
view of it. Revelation is necessary to assure us of 
the reality of a future state, and of the resurrection 
of the body. It is necessary to explain whether fu¬ 
ture existence will be a state of blessedness or a 
state of punishment; if to some a state of blessedness 
and to others a state of suffering, then what consti¬ 
tutes and causes the difference, or how may men 
escape misery and enjoy happiness. It is necessa¬ 
ry to teach us whether God will hear prayer, on 
what principles, and to what effect. It is necessary 
to give us a decisive standard of right and wrong, 
to describe our duty to God, to ourselves, to our rela¬ 
tives, and to our neighbors. Is is necessary to sat¬ 
isfy the guilty and anxious mind, whether God will 
pardon sins, what kind, how many, and by what 
evidences we may know he has pardoned our’s. 
These are inquiries essential to the happiness of man, 
especially to the inquisitive mind, even during health, 
but more peculiarly so in the time of affliction, 
and of approaching dissolution. But who can get 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHHISTI4NITY• 


65 


even a probable solution to these inquiries without 
reference to the Scriptures? The most judicious 
heathens saw and confessed the necessity of some 
communications from heaven to satisfy the anxious 
inquiries of reflecting minds. These are considera¬ 
tions, my dear Captain, which should come home to 
every man’s bosom, for they may come home, when 
he may not have strength of mind or body to entertain 
them. Dr. Leland’s two quarto volumes on the Ad¬ 
vantages and Necessity of the Christian Revelation, 
and the Rev. Edward Ryan’s History of the Effects 
of Religion on Mankind, will afford you ample and 
instructive proofs of this position. 

I would also beg leave to recommend the very 
careful perusal of Bishop Butler’s Analogy of Nat¬ 
ural and revealed religion, a hook to which I feel 
myself more indebted than to any book I eVerread. 

The direct ev idences are derived from the nature, 
the number and the designs of the facts recorded in 
the scriptures. If the facts be true, the doctrines 
cannot be false, for the principal doctrines rest on 
the principal facts, since they were such as none but 
Omnipotence could have effected, and they were 
performed for the purpose of confirming the doctrines 
taught by Moses and the prophets of the Old Testa¬ 
ment, and Christ and his Apostles of the New. The 
scripture history is sufficiently corroborated by the 
writings of the ancients, and the customs and man¬ 
ners of the Eastern nations. The critical observa¬ 
tions of the most profound linguists, the disquisitions 
of those best acquainted witli oriental literature, the 
modern geographical discoveries within the sphere 
of sacred history, together with the deepest re¬ 
searches into chronology, and the most accurate as¬ 
tronomical calculations, all unite to prove the 
authenticity of the scripture facts. 1 confess, said 
the Captain, that since my return from India, on 
hearing my niece refer to some parts of the Bible, l 


66 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


have been forcibly struck with several things which 
prove that the scriptures are an Eastern book; 
among other things, the language of one of the 
Psalms, where David says, “Thou anointest my 
head with oil, my cup runneth over,” most likely al¬ 
ludes to a custom which has continued to this day. 
1 once had this ceremony performed to me, in the 
house of a great and rich Indian, in the presence of 
a large company. The gentleman of the house 
poured upon my hands and arms a delightfully odori¬ 
ferous perfume, put a golden cup into my hand, and 
poured wine into it, till it ran over, assuring me at 
the same time that it was a great pleasure to him to 
receive me, and that l should find a rich supply in 
his house. 1 think the poet expressed his sense of 
the divine goodness by allusion to this custom. I 
thank you, said his friend, for this beautiful illustra¬ 
tion of that fine passage in the twenty-third psalm: 
1 hope you will pursue these observations. I doubt 
not but various other allusions to Eastern manners 
will occur to you, by a careful reading of the scrip¬ 
tures.—But to return to the matters of fact, as 
evidences of the truth of revelation. 

The rules laid down by Leslie in his short method 
with the Deists and the Jews, are so plain and forci¬ 
ble, tiiat they should never be forgotten. Iiis object 
is to give such rules, as to the truth of matters of 
fact in general, that where they all meet, such mat¬ 
ters of fact cannot be false; then to shew that these 
rules do meet in the matters of fact of Moses, 
and of Christ, and that they do not meet in the mat¬ 
ters of fact of Mahomet, of the heathen deities, or 
can possibly meet in any imposture whatsoever. 
His first rule is, that the matter of fact be such as 
that men’s outward senses, their eyes and ears, may 
be judges of it—secondly, that it be done publickly, 
in the face of the world—thirdly, that not only pub¬ 
lic monuments be kept up in memory of it, but some 


Ills CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


67 


outward actions be performed—fourthly, that such 
monuments and such actions or observances be in¬ 
stituted and do commence from the time that the 
matter of fact was done. The two first rules make 
it impossible for any such matter of fact to be im¬ 
posed upon men at the time when such matters of 
fact were said to be done, because every man’s senses 
would contradict the statement, and the two iast 
rules render it impossible that the matter of fact 
should be invented and imposed upon men, ages 
after the fact was said to be performed, because 
every one must know that no such public monuments 
bad been seen, nor any observances kept in memory 
of such events. His rules are so admirably applied 
to the principal facts of the Old and New Testament 
that 1 entreat you carefully to peruse that small but 
incomparable treatise. 

The departure of the Israelites from Egypt, the 
destroying the first-born of all the Egyptians, in 
memory of which the passover was kept, and by the 
Jews still continues to be kept—the dispersion of 
the Jews, and yet their continuing for so many ages 
a distinct people—the agreement of prophecies and 
historic events respecting the cities of Babylon, 
Nineveh, Tyre and Jerusalem—the resurrection of 
Christ—the conversion of St. Paul—the gift of 
tongues,—the institutions of baptism and the Lord’s 
supper—the martyrdom of the apostles—and the 
irresistible success of the gospel in opposition to the 
reasonings of the Grecian philosophers, the malig¬ 
nant designs of the Jews, and the systematic and per¬ 
severing efforts of the Roman government; are such 
memorable and unparalleled facts and circumstan¬ 
ces, that it appears almost impossible for any man 
seriously to consider them in connexion with the 
truths they are designed to establish, w ithout feeling 
an awe upon his spirit, and a secret conviction in his 
mind that the scriptures are the word of God. The 


68 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


dispersion of the Jews, and their continuing for so 
many ages a distinct people, is certainly a very re¬ 
markable fact, said the Captain; but there is anoth¬ 
er people as distinct as the Jews, who have frequent¬ 
ly excited my attention; they are the Ishmaelites, 
nothing can be a more accurate description of them 
than is given, “their hands shall be against every 
man and every man’s hand against them.” I 
have often had them in my service and seen them in 
various situations, but no change of place, connexion 
or circumstances in the least, alters their character, 
their hand is against every man, and consequently 
every man’s hand is against them. This, said the 
minister, is an occular demonstration, of neatly 
three thousand years continuance, of the truth of 
scripture prophecies, and 1 doubt not but if you 
were to go further into the subject you would see in¬ 
creasing reason to believe and wonder. If in addi¬ 
tion to the books before mentioned, you were to 
read Newton, on the Prophecies; Campbell, on Mir¬ 
acles; Lardner, on the Credibility of the Gospel 
History; West, on the Resurrection of Christ; 
Littleton, on the Conversion of St. Paul; and Paley’s 
Horse Paulinse, proving the genuineness and authen¬ 
ticity of Paul’s epistles; it appears to me that your 
mind would receive such a refulgency of evidence, 
that you would as readily admit the divine authen¬ 
ticity of the scriptures, as you do that light is the 
medium of vision, or life the cause of sensibility.* 


♦Since the year 1793. from the increase of infidelity in Great Rritain, 
owing to the spread oi French philosophy, and the circulation of 
Paine’s Age of Reason, there have been a number of books written, 
•worthy the perusal of persons who have any doubts on this subject. 
Such as Bishop Watson’s Apology for Christianity in Answer to Gib¬ 
bon. VVatson’s Apology for the Bible, in answer to Paine; the Age of 
Infidelity, by Mr. Williams; Fuller’s Gospel its own witness; that in¬ 
comparable work, Gregory’s Letters, and Bogue on the Divine Au¬ 
thenticity of the New Testament. 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 69 

Our friends, I perceive, are coming, so that we 
have no time to enter on the consideration of the 
character and agreement of the writers of the Bible, 
the spirit of tiie New Testament, or the design of the 
Scriptures, as tending to prove them of divine ori¬ 
gin; but before they reach us, I must beg leave to 
remind you, my dear sir, that of all the subjects that 
can possibly engage our attention, this is the most 
important. If you are right, according to your sen¬ 
timents, l cannot be, as to my final state, materi¬ 
ally wrong; but if my sentiments be right, your’s 
are essentially \\ rong; and pardon me, for I have no 
right to be your judge, any more than you have to 
be mine, but my system necessarily leads to this con¬ 
clusion—If you reject the remedy God has provided, 
remember, there is no other, and you may be finally’ 
wrong, and finally miserable. I have tried the 
pleasures of this world, in search of happiness, 
and find them vanity and vexation of spirit, and £ 
have tried the ways of religion, which are scriptu¬ 
ral, and find them to be ways of pleasantness and 
paths of peace, l have also seen these princi¬ 
ples put to their test by persons in the last hours 
of life; when they have felt an ineffable serenity of 
mind, a cheerful devotion of spirit, and an unshaken 
confidence of a glorious immortality: be not sur¬ 
prised, therefore, my dear Captain, that 1 feel a 
sincere and friendly concern that you may believe 
unto eternal life, experience the happiness which I 
believe nothing beside can afford, and devote your 
life to glorify Him who has so wonderfully preserv¬ 
ed and prospered you. 

Captain Sims and his friends now entering the 
lawn, he said to Captain Wilson, “Has he convinced 
you, Captain?”—“1 will not say much about that,” 
replied Wilson, “hut he has said some things I shall 
never forget.” The subject now dropped, and the 
evening was spent in cheerful conversation, princi¬ 
pally on religious subjects. 

6 


7 0 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


The next morning. Captain Wilson waited on Isis 
friend Captain Sims, and informed him, that lie had 
not read the hook written by Major Burn, hut re¬ 
quested the loan of it again, assuring him that he 
would give it a serious perusal. lie immediately 
returned and read it with the avidity with which an 
hungry man receives food. Every page strength¬ 
ened the convictions and deepened the impressions 
made the preceding evening. lie ever after spoke 
of that book, as a principal means in the hands of the 
Spirit, of confirming his mind in the belief of the 
divine origin of Christianity. As soon as he had 
finished reading “The Christian Officer’s Panoply,” 
which he did in a few hours, he began to read the 
Scriptures, but this he did theoretically only, imag¬ 
ining that he might believe in Christianity and 
>et be a man of pleasure, as he was acquainted with 
many who professed to believe in revelation and yet 
were men of the world, as much as he thought pru¬ 
dence would justify in himself. 

The Captain continued for some days reading the 
Scriptures and occasionally conversing with his 
niece, and the Captain of marines, hut with frequent 
flights of levity, intended as a shield from the sus¬ 
picions of his being a convert to Christianity. Un¬ 
der the pretext of obliging Miss Wilson, he proffered 
to drive her down to her place of worship on the 
Sabbalh. she having been previously united to a re¬ 
spectable Baptist Church at Portsea, hut with a se¬ 
cret resolution of hearing the young minister with 
whom he had passed the pleasant hours in conversa¬ 
tion. The minister was then a probationer for the 
pastoral office over the congregation assembling in 
Orange Street Chapel, and that the people might 
judge of liis talents, of his sentiments on tlie doc¬ 
trines of the gospel, arid his views of Christian ex¬ 
perience. he had chosen to preach from the eighth 
chapter of the Romans, every Sabbath day morning, 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


71 


till he had explained the whole. The congregation 
was Calvinistic, and the minister thought it right to 
give a full exhibition of his sentiments, that they 
might not proceed to the election, unacquainted with 
his views on this difficult subject. On the day the 
Captain first entered the place, the text in course for 
the sermon that morning was, “And whom he did 
foreknow, them he also did predestinate, to be con¬ 
formed to the image of his Son.” The foreknowl¬ 
edge of God had been the subject of a previous dis¬ 
course, predestination therefore was the subject for 
that morning. The minister was in a high degree 
of perturbation when he saw the Captain enter the 
place of worship, thinking it was unfortunate that 
such a doctrine should be the first he should hear, as 
he feared it might be misunderstood, and thus rivet 
his prejudices against the truth of Christianity, fie 
felt a wish, if it had been any way possible, to change 
the subject, for some one in his views more likely to 
interest the Captain’s mind, and impress his con¬ 
science, but this could not be done. He knew the 
people were come in expectation of this subject. 
Some feared the young minister might darken coun¬ 
sel by words without knowledge; others feared the 
doctrine might be so represented as to make God the 
minister of sin, and to extenuate the guilt of human 
transgression; while others were concerned lest it 
should be explained away and the divine will be made 
to rest on the volition of fallen creatures, constantly 
changing, but always wrong; and instead of his pur¬ 
poses, directing and controlling all events, they 
should be represented as always floating upon human 
contingences. Though the minister was agitated 
with fears during the singing of the hymns, his 
mind reflected on itself, Do you believe the doctrine 
you are about to explain and prove? Do you not 
believe that the Spirit of God knew the subject, and 
who were to hear it? if it be truth, can be not make 
this truth as well as any other the means of that 


72 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


man’s conversion to God? This reasoning calmed • 
his apprehensions, and after some fervent ejaculations 
to the Spirit of truth, he felt as though the voice of 
God addressed him, saying, “Arise, and preach the 
preaching that I hid thee.” 

The Captain, as lie often declared afterwards, 
was highly delighted with what he considered the 
simplicity of the worship, and the deep interest the 
congregation appeared to take in it. 

The introduction to the sermon was formed with 
a design to produce seriousness of mind, in the dis¬ 
cussion of a subject which is of a serious and awful 
kind, and which, it is confessed, has difficulties, in 
whatever view it is taken; in the second place, to ex¬ 
cite candor tow ai ds those who could not see the subject 
in the same light in which it appeared to the preach¬ 
er, for the belief of the doctrine ueither constitutes a 
real Christian, nor proves that he is one: and also to 
call for candor from those w ho differ from the pre- 
destinarians; for however luminous the evidence 
of its being a Scripture truth may appear to them, and 
however important and useful they judge the belief 
of it to be, it is not considered by them in general 
as essential to salvation, that persons should believe 
it in the sense they consider and represent it; and 
lastly, it was intended to excite prayer in the minds 
of the hearers, that what was error might he per¬ 
ceived and rejected, and what was truth might be 
cordially received, and humbly submitted to, what¬ 
ever difficulties might attend it. The introduction 
disarmed the Captain’s prejudice and fixed his at¬ 
tention. 

The divisions of the sermon shewed that it w as 
the design of the minister; first—to make some ob¬ 
servations explanatory of the doctrine of predestina¬ 
tion—secondly, to advance some arguments to con¬ 
firm it—thirdly, to shew the uses that should be made 
of it—and lastly, to guard both those that receive 
and those that reject the doctrine, from abusing it. 


IIIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


73 


The outlines and general principles of this sermon 
are stated here for the purpose of shewing in what 
light this doctrine was first presented to the Captain, 
seeing it was often mentioned by him to his relatives, 
his Christian friends, and to the Missionaries, that 
it was the preaching of the doctrine of predestination 
that was the means of his conversion to God. As 
the doctrine had been useful in the hand of the 
Spirit to rouse his soul to a sense of his danger, and 
to constrain him to seek in earnest for divine mercy 
and gracious influence, it was natural for him to 
think that occasionally and scripturally to preach it, 
is calculated to awaken others. fJe used to reason 
thus; if it be a truth, it must have been revealed; if 
revealed, it is flt men should believe it; if they must 
believe it, the doctrine should be preached. Besides, 
certain minds require, he used to remark, strong and 
powerful sentiments to rouse their attention and 
awaken their conscience. If men are taught, that 
they are in danger of being lost, but that the remedy 
is in themselves, the representation is awfully de¬ 
ceptive—for the first part of the sentence is much 
weaker than the scriptures represent the subject, 
and the other part is altogether untrue. The man 
who believes such a representation, is in danger of pro¬ 
crastinating that, to some future time, which should 
employ all the powers of his soul immediately. But 
if he believes—that he is now lost , for “Christ came 
to seek and to save that which is lost,”—that “he 
who has offended in one part is guilty of all,”—that 
“he who believeth not is condemned already , the 
wrath of God abideth on him”—and that in con¬ 
sequence of man’s moral depravity, “no man can 
come to Christ, except the Father draw him;” or in 
other words, if the man believes that he is ruined, 
and that it depends solely on the grace and mercy 
of God whether he shall be saved, he is most likely 
*6 


74 


MEMOIRS OR CAPTAIN WILSON. 


to be alarmed and at once to fly to the refuge set be¬ 
fore him in the gospel. 

Jn the explanatory observations, it was stated, 
]. liy predestination is intended, that wise, holy, 
good, and sovereign arrangement which God pur¬ 
posed in himself, and in which he predetermined 
w hatsoever should come to pass; but more especial¬ 
ly, it is the gracious determination of his will, to 
save those whom he foreknew or approved, by de¬ 
livering them from the condemnation of his law, 
through the justifying righteousness of his Son; and 
by the influence of his grace subduing and finally 
eradicating sin, and restoring the lost image of God 
n their souls. 

2. Predestination does not suppose a number of 
abstract decrees, but a connected and harmonious 
arrangement of purposes. It does not decree effects 
without causes, ends without means, volitions without 
motives; so that no one would be justified in reason¬ 
ing, as some thoughtless and ignorant persons say 
the doctrine would justify us in doing—“If God has 
predestinated us to he saved, we shall be so, what¬ 
ever we believe and however we act.” Nothing can 
he more absurd or inconsistent with this doctrine 
than such reasoning, because the apostle declares, 
“whom he did foreknow, them he also did predesti¬ 
nate, to be conformed to the image of his Son none 
ran be saved therefore who is not conformed to the 
image of Christ, and he w as “meek and lowly of 
heart, holy, harmless, and separate from sinners.” 
He who has decreed the salvation of a soul, has pre¬ 
determined that it shall believe, repent, be holy, and 
finally be made perfect in love; he has appointed the 
reading of the scriptures, the keeping the Sabbath, 
the hearing of his word, and prayer, as means by 
which these ends are to be effected, and he has also 
promised the influence of his Spirit, as the great 
cause by which all is to be finally accomplished. 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY, 


75 


3. Predestination docs not even interfere with, 
much less destroy, the free exercise of the human 
will Men sin voluntarily, and all acceptable re¬ 
ligious services must be the free exercise of the will. 
Though grace influences the will, it does not force, 
but inclines it, by the motives of the gospel meeting 
and agreeing with the renewed dispositions of the 
heart, and hence the motives become operative on a 
pious or renewed soul, which have no influence on a 
wicked or unregenerated one. 

It is said, w hen Satan came to Christ he found 
nothing in him. The motives Satan had to present 
to him, met with nothing corresponding with them, 
in his holy mind, and hence the motives produced no 
effect; so on the contrary, when motives to holiness 
and the service of God are presented to a bad man, 
they find nothing in his heart corresponding to them 
and consequently they have no influence. 

Though a man’s conversion to God, therefore be 
the result of predestination, yet predestination has 
not effected the freedom of his will; for he as free¬ 
ly wills to be righteous and serve God now, as he 
before freely willed to be wicked and disobey him. 
Besides, no one is influenced by the decrees of pre¬ 
destination, as motives of his conduct, seeing no one 
can be acquainted with them, as they are the secrets 
of the divine will. 

4 . Predestination affords no ground for presump¬ 
tion, or for putting things out of that order which in¬ 
finite wisdom has assigned. The revealed will of 
God is the rule of faith and conduct, and not his 
secret will. The doctrine no more justifies a per¬ 
son in attempting to break the constituted order of 
things in moral and religious subjects, than in nat¬ 
ural ones. He who has rendered air essentially 
necessary to respiration, and food for human sus¬ 
tenance, and both essential to the maintenance of 
animal life, has rendered faith, repentance, and 


76 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


obedience essential to salvation, not as conditions in 
the sense some present them, but as constituent 
parts of salvation, as the others are constituent parts 
of human life. It would he as much in \ain to ex¬ 
pect salvation without these constituent parts, as for 
men to expect the continuance of life, without air 
and food. 

5. Predestination, properly understood, presents 
no inducements to indolence on the one hand, or 
despair on the other, but the contrary. Because i 
learn from the nature of tilings, that it is pre¬ 
ordained that air should refresh me, I go into it; 
that water should quench my thirst, I drink it; and 
that fire should warm me, I approach it. Because 
God lias predetermined that faith should he connect¬ 
ed with salvation, I endeavor to believe, and be¬ 
cause prayer is to he followed by answers, we offer 
them. The doctrine can be no just cause even of 
discouragement, much less of despair, because no 
one can understand what are the purposes of God, 
till events have discovered them; and the promise 
is absolute that all who seek shall find, and all who 
ask shall receive, and the promise is as much a part 
of the scheme of predestination as the blessing 
promised, and surely the blessing of the promise 
being absolutely and immediately certain to them 
that believe, can afford no cause of discouragement 
to faith. A man who knows the depravity of his 
ow n heart and the mutability of his best resolutions, 
wiTl feel encouraged from considering that his final 
salvation is dependant on God, not on himself. 

6. The doctrine of predestination accounts for 
many events which appear very unaccountable with¬ 
out it. Some persons appear to be singled out by 
Providence, by a peculiar train of occurrences, and 
are preserved amidst a thousand deaths, even while 
they are in rebellion against the Divine Being, and 
at length they are truly converted to God. Others 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


77 ' 


are brought to genuine repentance under the first 
sermon they hear, while others continue to hear the 
word for years with awful indifference and to no 
saving benefit. The ways of Providence are in¬ 
scrutable upon any scheme of doctrine, but they are 
m »re easily accounted for on that of predestination 
than upon any other. “Even so, Father, for so it 
seemeth good in thy sight,” is a principle to which 
the reflecting mind must revert, while contemplating 
the divine government with reference to almost all 
events, respecting itself or others, It is by banish¬ 
ing contingencies or chance from our system of 
faith, and tracing every thing up to the sovereign, 
infinitely wise and all controlling, but righteous will 
of God, that the mind is resigned to afflictive dis¬ 
pensations, and calm amidst terrific circumstances— 
“It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good” 
—Shall not the Judge of the whole earth do right?” 
—“The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away,” 
is language that shews our reason and will are pros¬ 
trate before the throne of God, resolving all into the 
will of him who has a right to say, “my counsel 
shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” 

Lastly. There is nothing in the doctrine of pre¬ 
destination, properly understood, that is a reflection 
upon the justice or goodness of God—unless it could 
he proved that the events of providence are reflec¬ 
tions upon his justice and goodness; for the occur¬ 
rences of every day and of every province exhibit 
instances, which cannot be reduced to any standard 
that such objections would erect of the justice of 
God. It is as difficult to account for the facts of the 
sufferings of children, in body, mind, and circum¬ 
stances, on account of the conduct of their parents, 
of the sufferings of nations, arising from the cruel 
conduct of a few individuals, or of the wretched 
slavery of one great part of mankind to the other, 
and of innumerable favors being conferred by Provi- 


78 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON* 


deuce upon some parts of the world which are with¬ 
held from the other, as it is to account for the doc¬ 
trine of predestination: this shews that men have in¬ 
correct ideas of the divine justice. To suppose that 
the Divine Being is bound by any principle of jus¬ 
tice to exercise mercy upon a race of rebels against 
his government, is to suppose an absurdity,* for this 
would resol\e all his kindness to his creatures into 
acts of justice, which necessarily destroys the idea of 
mercy; and this involves another absurdity, that to 
exercise justice in any case would be an act of in¬ 
justice. To suppose that because God is pleased to 
exercise mercy towards any of the rebels in his do¬ 
minions, it would be injustice to the rest if he did 
not exercise mercy towards them, is not only limit¬ 
ing the Almighty by denying to him the prerogative 
exercised by every supreme governor in the world, 
which is that of displaying his sovereignty in the 
discrimination of the objects, and the ends of mercy, 
and of suffering justice to take its course as to oth¬ 
ers; but it is to suppose that the act of mercy to¬ 
wards the first individual that was pardoned, ren¬ 
dered it necessary, in order to preserve the honor 
of the divine character that all the rest should he 
pardoned; which converts what was an act of mercy 
in the first instance into an act of justice in every 
subsequent case; this also shows that some reason- 
ers have very mistaken conceptions of the divine 
justice. The supposition that this doctrine is a re¬ 
flection on the justice of God probably arises from 
two causes; first, from the want of a deep and proper 
sense of the evil and demerit of sin, and next from 
the unwillingness of the human heart to submit to the 
absolute and unlimited sovereignty of the Divine 
Being; which is a principle so deep in human na¬ 
ture as not to be fully discovered, and so extensive 
in its operation as not only to arraign the truths of 


IIIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


79 


revelation at its bar, but also the ways of Provi¬ 
dence and to “judge the justice of our God.” 

1. As an explanation of this subject was princi¬ 
pally intended by introducing it here, it is unneces¬ 
sary to say more by way of proof, than simply to 
state that the truth of the doctrine was argued from 
its being reasonable, that the Divine Being should 
propose to himself some ultimate end of all bis works, 
that bis glory should be that end, and that every 
thing and every event should be made conducive to 
it. An ultimate end to be accomplished supposes a 
design, a design supposes an arrangement of parts 
and operations, an arrangement supposes a deter¬ 
mination, and the work is the result of the whole, 
this is what is intended by predestination. This 
argument is not only collected from the operations 
of the human mind in its progress to the accomplish¬ 
ment of some design, but is evident from the works 
of creation and providence. 

2. Jt was argued from the admission of the di¬ 
vine prescience or foreknowledge. To deny bis fore¬ 
knowledge, is to deny one of the perfections of his 
nature, and w hat, in (be scriptures be claims as bis 
distinguishing prerogative, but as it is observed by 
a great writer on this subject, “There can be no 
prescience of future contingencies, for it involves a 
contradiction to say, things which are not certainly 
to be, should be certainly foreseen. If they are 
certainly foreseen, they must certainly be, and can 
therefore be no longer contingent. An uncertain 
foresight is also an imperfect act, as it may be a 
mistake, and is therefore inconsistent with divine 
perfection. On the other side the difficulty is easily 
explained. When God decrees that an event shall 
take place, its existence becomes thenceforth certain, 
and as such, is certainly foreseen. For it is an ob¬ 
vious absurdity to say that a thing happens freely, 
that is to say, that it may or may not be, and yet 


so 


MEMOIRS 0«F CAPTAIN WILSON, 


that it is certainly foreseen by God. He cannot 
foresee things but as he decrees them and conse¬ 
quently gives them a certainty of future existence; 
and therefore any prescience antecedent to his de¬ 
cree must be rejected as impossible. Conditional 
decrees are farther absurd, inasmuch as they sub¬ 
ject the purposes of God to the will and action of 
his creatures, infinite perfection can wish nothing 
but what it can execute, and if it is fit to wish, it is 
fit to execute its wishes/’ 

3. It was argued from the express language of 
the scriptures, and from its being evident that the 
apostle Paul intended to establish the doctrine, not 
only from the arguments he used, but from his an¬ 
ticipating and replying to the objections usually 
urged against it—the apostle’s reasonings in the 
first of the Ephesians, and in the eighth, ninth, and 
eleventh chapters of the Romans, were cited in con¬ 
firmation of the doctrine. 

The use of the doctrine teaches those who be¬ 
lieve it, to admire the harmony, the irresistible en¬ 
ergy and the immutable stability of tlie divine gov¬ 
ernment.— It affords encouragement for prayer, by 
accounting for its efficacy, showing tiiat the prayer, 
the promise, and the blessing arc inseparably con¬ 
nected in the purpose of God, and therefore con¬ 
stantly united in the divine conduct and in our ex¬ 
perience. It lays a firm basis for faith, confidence, 
and hope in whatever God has promised, as it teaches 
us that his infinite wisdom, his all controlling ener¬ 
gies, and his immutable fidelity are all engaged to 
accomplish these promises. If some of the prom¬ 
ises hear a conditional aspect, the condition of one 
promise is the blessing absolutely engaged by an¬ 
other. 

The doctrine presents us with many powerful mo¬ 
tives to employ every faculty we possess, in working 
out our salvation, for it is God that worketh in us 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


81 


both to will and to do of bis good pleasure, and we 
are persuaded that he who has begun the good work 
will perform it till the day of Jesus Christ. “He 
is of one mind, and who can turn him, and what his 
soul desireth, that he doth. Jesus Christ, the same 
yesterday, to day, and for ever.” 

The doctrine affords the strongest inducements to 
holiness of heart and conduct, for we are predesti¬ 
nated to be conformed to the image of his Son—that 
we should be holy and without blame before him in 
love—that we should apprehend that for which wc 
are apprehended of Christ Jesus—and that we 
should be to the praise of his glory. Now if the 
subordinate ends are not accomplished or accom¬ 
plishing, we have no just cause to expect the ulti¬ 
mate end will be accomplished in us; hence the in¬ 
ducements to self-examination, to much and fervent 
prayer, and to an earnest striving to enter in at the 
straight gare. 

Lastly, The doctrine affords various reasons for 
submission to afflictive dispensations and patience 
to wait the issue; for “the vision is for an appointed 
time, but though it tarry, it shall speak and not lie.” 

The doctrine is indeed full of much holy and prac¬ 
tical improvement, but it is acknowledged that it is 
abused by those who reject it, by making those who 
believe it, answerable for consequences which they 
utterly disavow, and by their denial of the sove¬ 
reignty of God, and making events contingent, 
which the word of God assures us are certain. But 
the most fatal abuse to many is, that presuming on 
their own inherent ability, independent of the spe¬ 
cial grace of God, they rely upon the exertion of 
their ability at some future period, and thus from 
season to season they continue to procrastinate the 
work; and in consequence of depending on their own 
strength, they neglect earnestly to seek for that di¬ 
vine influence, which is promised to those who ask 
7 


8 2 


MEMOIRS OE CAPTAIN WILSON. 


for it, till death closes the scene, and places the soul 
on that side of the gulph, mentioned by our Lord, 
from whence prayers are never answered. 

Those who believe the doctrine, were cautioned 
not to abuse it, by viewing the subject in abstract 
parts, and separating effects from their cause—du¬ 
ties from privileges—the end from the means—sin 
from suffering—and holiness from happiness—for 
God having united them in his purposes, we must 
unite them in practice. 

They were cautioned against attempting to 
pry into secret things, and of being wiser than 
what is written, for “secret things belong to God, 
and revealed things to us and our children.” Could 
they read the book of purposes as clearly as the 
book of revelation, no one difficulty would be remov¬ 
ed from the mind, but it must still submit to the di¬ 
vine sovereignty and wait in faith for the accom¬ 
plishment of his will, and lastly, those who w^ere un¬ 
der concern about eternal realities, and were de¬ 
sirous of salvation, were cautioned against drawing 
conclusions unfavorable to themselves; for whatev¬ 
er their doubtful minds might imagine respecting 
the secret purposes of God, there can be nothing con¬ 
trary to the word of God, and its language is, “all 
that the Father giveth me, shall come to me, and him 
that cometh, I will in no wise cast out.” “God so 
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, 
that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, 
but have eternal life.” 

This sermon was listened to by Captain Wilson 
with a fixed attention, which excited the observation 
of those who sat near him, and especially of the min¬ 
ister in the pulpit. The sentiments produced a con¬ 
flict of feelings in the breast of the Captairt, like 
what we may conceive to have been the conflict of 
the primary elements of nature, w hen blended in 
chaos, each striving to obtain its situation and influ- 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


83 


ence in the universe. His memory, reason, con¬ 
science, imagination, and passions, were all in agi¬ 
tation. Ilis prejudices for and against the doctrine, 
his hopes and fears, his love and hatred, his plea¬ 
sures and disgusts, raised a storm in his soul, re¬ 
sembling the concussion of the elements in a hurri¬ 
cane; for while his heart rose in hatred against the 
sovereignty of God, the events of his whole life ap¬ 
peared before him as incontrovertible evidences of 
its truth. 

The impassioned strains in which the concluding 
part of the sermon was addressed to the auditory, 
representing the infinite compassion of the Savior, 
his long suffering with sinners, the various and per¬ 
severing methods he used to bring them to repen¬ 
tance, and his inexpressible readiness to receive and 
pardon all that applied to him for mercy, drew tears 
from those eyes, which had never wept during the 
long and almost unparalleled sufferings he had en¬ 
dured under Hyder Ally. These silent tears, which 
he endeavored to suppress, and which he was afraid 
to wipe off, lest he should excite observation, drew 
tears of benevolent joy from the eyes of Ids friend 
that sat opposite him, who heard the sermon more 
for the Captain than himself, and spent a great part 
of the time in turning its principles into earnest sup¬ 
plications for his spiritual welfare. 

When the service was ended, Ids friend asked him 
how he approved of the sermon; the Captain gave him 
an evasive answer, and left the place, manifesting an 
evident reluctance to enter into conversation. When 
alone, he reflected with himself; how can I have 
been such a fool as to suffer tny feelings to he car¬ 
ried away as they have been this morning? No 
theatrical representation has ever produced such an 
effect as this sermon. To what can this he attribu¬ 
ted; is it the spontaneous and earnest mode of ad¬ 
dress to which 1 have not been accustomed in hear- 


S4 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON- 


ing sermons; is it the coincidence of the principles 
of the sermon with the circumstances of my life, or 
is it the impression of the Deity upon my mind, of 
which the scriptures seem to speak? He was thus 
alternately agitated by speculation on the truths he 
had heard and by the feelings they had excited. At 
one moment he considered them enthusiastic notions 
and impressions, and resolved to resist them; at 
another they returned upon him with increased vigor 
and he resolved to give himself up to their influence, 
feeling as though the tide was set in against him, 
and it were better to go with it than attempt to stem 
its current. The next reflection suggested, if I give 
myself to this current, where will it carry me? I shall 
be as great an object of ridicule as ever I have made 
others, if 1 begin, 1 must go all lengths with these 
people and their notions, there will be no stopping 
or receding. Again replied reason and conscience, 
if what you have heard bears the appearance of 
truth, ought you not patiently to investigate it? if it 
should be found to be truth, ought you not to submit 
and acknowledge it? May you not have been wrong 
in your sentiments and general temper of mind, and 
are not these sentiments and feelings the best prepar¬ 
ative for death and a future state? A religion with¬ 
out feeiing is a religion without interest, and if my 
passions are not to be employed in religious services, 
for what purpose was 1 made a being of passions as 
well as of intellect? In this state of conflict be spent 
the interval of worship, with some painful remem¬ 
brance of former sins and fearful apprehensions of 
futurity. When the time returned for the afternoon 
service he resolved to go to another place of worship 
where he heard a sermon read on the prodigal son, 
not twenty minutes long, to w hich he listened with 
great attention, but when finished, he observed to 
himself, not a sentiment has been uttered this after¬ 
noon peculiar to revelation; any man, of whatever 



HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


85 


religious opinions, might have preached this sermon, 
for it is pure Deism. The sum of it was, that young 
people are prone to folly and extravagance, that 
every prodigal son should return to his father, and 
every father should receive a penitent son. Surely, 
thought the Captain, it did not require the Son of 
God to come down from,heaven to teach such com¬ 
mon place principles as these, and though these are 
truths, 1 question whether the author of the parable 
had not some higher design in uttering it, than this 
sermon imports. From this it may be seen that letting 
down the truths of revelation to a level with the prin¬ 
ciples of natural religion by preaching mere moral 
ethics, is not calculated to convince the Deists or re¬ 
concile them to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

When returning home with Miss Wilson in the 
evening, the Captain related the sermon he had 
heard in the morning, and the impressions it had 
made upon his mind. He appeared very serious, 
and said, ‘if what l have heard to-day be true, 1 am 
a lost man.’ This language drew tears of joy from 
his affectionate niece, who immediately began to 
present the bright side of Christianity to his mind, 
assuring him that he would soon find more pleasure 
from believing it, than ever he had found from the 
world. He now became very pensive and thought¬ 
ful, the Bible and the writings of good men were 
his constant companions. 

His friend, Captain Sims, soon perceived that he, 
was under very deep concern about the salvation of 
his soul, yet he said but little to him, for the Cap¬ 
tain wishing to know every thing at once, like 3 ouths 
who enter upon the study of a new science, asked 
such a variety of diversified and unconnected ques¬ 
tions, that it was very difficult satisfactorily to an¬ 
swer them. The truth of revelation believed but par¬ 
tially, and with many painful suspicions, was now but 
a secondary object, bis great concern being absorbed 

*r 


86 


MEMOIItS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


in the inquiry, how shall I be saved? Never did a 
laborer wish for the night of rest, more than he 
longed for the return of the sabbath. The next 
Lord’s day morning, he was one of the first in the 
place of worship. The prater astonished him: the 
adorations, confession, petitions, pleadings and 
thanksgiving, every part appeared to be composed 
for him, and seemed to open the sluices of bis soul, 
that he might pour out his grief, fear, desire and 
gratitude into the besom of the Father of spirits. 

The next subject in course exhibited to his view a 
delineation of the image of the Son of God, the wis¬ 
dom and holiness of God in predestinating that men 
should be conformed to him, the cause, progress, 
evidences, and advantages of that conformity, were 
explained and enforced. From this discourse he 
perceived, that he was far from bearing a resem¬ 
blance to Jesus Christ, that it is the work of the 
Spirit of God to produce such a resemblance, that 
there can be no scriptural assurance that vvc shall 
be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, 
but by our bearing this resemblance, and that our 
happiness is only in proportion to the degree of our 
conformity to the Lord Jesus Christ. This sermon 
deepened former impressions. Sin appeared exceed¬ 
ing sinful, tlis judgment perceived the fitness, and 
his conscience felt the force of truth. The next 
sabbath morning, from the words “whom he did 
predestinate, them lie also called the minister 
described the way in w hich a resemblance to Christ 
was begun, progressively effected, and finally per¬ 
fected: and the sermon on justification opened to 
his mind the method of a sinner’s acceptance with 
God. He perceived that Christ is the end of the law 
for righteousness, that faith is the means by which 
a sou! is interested in his justifying righteousness, 
and that the promise of the acceptance of a penitent 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


87 


sinner, through Christ, is the ground or warrant of 
laith. 

This discourse on justification was the principal 
means of removing in a good degree the load of 
guilt which had for some weeks pressed on his 
spirits, and dispelled the gloomy apprehensions 
which tormented his mind about a future state. He 
now entered into the pleasures of religion. Before 
he was driven by fear, now he was drawn by love. 
The horrors of the night weic turned into the joy of 
the morning. lie now thought he understood what 
it was to be translated from darkness into marvellous 
light; from the power of Satan into the kingdom of 
God’s dear Son, which is not in meats or drinks, in 
t hings externa], but in righteousness, peace, and 
joy in the Holy Ghost. Old things were passed 
away, and all tilings became new. 

His countenance which before had indicated the 
anxious thoughtfulness and desponding apprehen¬ 
sions of his grief-worn spirit, now brightened with 
cheerfulness, while a radiance of ardent love and 
gratitude seemed to sparkle in his eyes. His con¬ 
versation was no longer forced, broken and distress¬ 
ing. He spoke freely and in every company, for 
“out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak- 
cth.” He wondered that his friend the Captain, 
was not more exalted with confidence and elevated 
with joy, and began to reprove his former reprover 
for his lukewarmness. Indeed, he w as a considera¬ 
ble means of fanning the embers ofliis piety, which 
had lost too much of the fire of religious zeal and 
spirituality, by his living among the people and in 
the maxims of the world, and at too great a distance 
from the social worship and the religious associa¬ 
tions of serious persons. He had retired into the 
country, ten miles from the circle of his religious 
connexions, for the benefit of his health, but there is 
reason to fear that what he had gained for his body, 


88 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


lie had lost in the life and power of vital religion in 
the soul. 

Soon after Captain Wilson’s mind was relieved 
from distress, by the knowledge and application of 
the gospel, he called upon his minister. This was 
the first interview they had with each other after the 
long conversation on the subject of Deism. He 
began by telling his friend that he had resolved for 
some weeks to visit him, but at length the happy 
state of his mind constrained him to call. He then 
related the progress of his views from the time of the 
first conversation, and said, “I have no language to 
express the happiness I now feel; and the gratitude I 
owe to God, 1 hope will be expressed in the life, 1 
have yet to live, by my zeal in the service of God, 
bearing some good proportion to that I have mani¬ 
fested in the service of Satan. But my dear sir, I 
shall never reward you for the good I have received, 
were I to give you all 1 possess in the world, it would 
be but a poor compensation for the benefit I have 
derived from your conversation and ministry.” 

The pleasure felt by his friend was such as none 
but young ministers in similar circumstances are 
capable of understanding. It was a testimony to 
him and to the church of the presence of God being 
with their minister, and among other circumstances 
tended to produce unanimity and confidence in the 
church and congregation in their choice of him for 
their pastor. 

The Captain soon manifested to the circle of his 
gay acquaintances, the change of his principles by a 
change in his habits. He vainly imagined that he 
might keep their company with a view to their 
religious improvement, without going all the accus¬ 
tomed lengths of gaiety. He consulted his minister 
on the propriety of his design to maintain an inti¬ 
macy with his worldly connexions, with a view to 
their benefit,—His minister perceiving it was not 


HIS CONVERSION TO CIIRISTI4NITY. 


89 


easy to teason him out of the belief of the probabil¬ 
ity of attaining his object, remarked, ‘<1 strongly 
suspect, if you do not withdraw from their parties, 
they will withdraw from you.” He soon experi¬ 
enced the truth of this observation. For a time, 
however, he accepted their invitations, and received 
their visits, but endeavoring to carry his purpose 
into execution, he conversed with one on the truth 
of the liible, and the necessity of constantly reading 
it, asking the individual some questions which tend¬ 
ed to bring its truths home to his conscience; to 
another, he spoke of the sin and folly of swearing 
and taking the Lord’s name in vain; to a third, of 
the importance of the Sabbath, and the necessity of 
keeping it holy. To some of the loquacious ladies, 
lie manifested some doubts whether all the anecdotes 
they related of their neighbors were quite correct, 
and whether they might not bear a more favorable 
construction than they gave them. To others, he 
even ventured occasionally to mention the subjects 
of death, judgment, and a future state, and to make 
allusions and applications as though he thought it 
their duty to think on these subjects. For a few 
evenings he retired, hoping from their silence that 
he had made some useful impressions, and that his 
object would be obtained, but afterwards he found 
they bad rallied their forces and combined their en¬ 
ergies. One ridiculed bis serious countenance, as 
though he was surely very ill and was about to die; 
another on his being mealy-mouthed, and of using 
language only fit for the Methodist chapel; another 
took the Lord’s name in vain, and then apologized; 
the lady he had questioned as to the correctness of 
some of her w hispers against those who were not of 
her party, had no doubt but the Captain would soon 
turn parson, and that she should see him with a 
white wig on a white horse; and a witty officer 
kept the company for an hour at a time in a roar of 


90 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


laughter, by relating a number of amusing anecdotes 
about the Puritans and Methodists, and church- 
going set. The Captain found the flood of raillery 
which he had often poured on others now T returning 
on himself. He frequently tried to stem the torrent 
by argument, at other times he aimed to go with it 
by joining in the laugh till it had spent itself, but all 
to no effect. They were resolved either to rout him 
out of his strange notions, or to rout him from their 
society; but as they could not accomplish the former, 
their parties were at length formed unknown to the 
Captain, but as he heard of them through the medi¬ 
um of his servants. He thus learnt that it was not 
possible to serve two masters—that there is no com¬ 
munion between light and darkness, and that a faith¬ 
ful and lively Christian is constrained to come out 
from among the world and to be separate. They 
have as great a dislike to his company as he has 
to their’s. He now understood the meaning of that 
scripture, “Marvel not if the w 7 orld hate you, ye 
know that it hated me before it hated you; if ye were 
of the world, the world would love his own, but be¬ 
cause ye are not of the w orld, but 1 have chosen you 
out of the w r orld, therefore the world hateth you.” 

The Captain being a man of leisure, and having 
no pleasure in the sports of the field, his time was 
principally occupied in reading. His minister was 
sometimes at his house for several days, pursuing 
his own studies on one part of the day, and directing 
those of his friend on the other. He read with avid¬ 
ity most of the principal works on the evidences of 
Christianity, until he had obtained such a firm per¬ 
suasion of the truth of revelation as to be able to say 
afterwards to his friend in a letter from Rio de 
Janeiro—“The Bible is no cunningly devised fable; 
though 1 may have my doubts at times of my per¬ 
sonal interest in the glorious work of redemption, 
yet not all the men in the world, nor Satan with all 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


9i 


his principalities and powers, can, or ever will, I 
trust, persuade me that it is not the word of the 
Most High; neither could any thing so completely 
have weaned me from the things of the world as this 
precious volume has done, since I have been enabled 
to believe it to be the word of God.” 

The Captain found that though one class of so¬ 
ciety shunned his acquaintance, another as eagerly 
sought it; for in nothing do real Christians more 
resemble the spirits in heaven, than in the joy they 
feel when a sinner repents and testifies his love to 
the Redeemer. Many rejoiced to hear him tell what 
God had done for his soul, and cheerfully aided his 
mind in its searches after evangelical and experimen¬ 
tal truth. But the Captain, like most young Chris¬ 
tians who have had little previous acquaintance with 
the religious world, fixed his standard of the Chris¬ 
tian character higher than facts or the scriptures will 
justify. He had not then learnt the truth of that 
adage of our old divines, ‘The best of men are but 
men at the best/ He expected to find in almost 
every one professing to be a Christian, a degree of 
religious knowledge, of spiritual affections, amiable¬ 
ness of temper, disinterested benevolence, and glow¬ 
ing zeal for the honor of God, as much beyond what 
he experienced, as their standing in the Christian 
church exceeded his in duration. For a Christian 
to be sleepy under a sermon, every sentence of which 
appeared to him almost like a new revelation from 
heaven, seemed totally unaccountable. That such 
persons should converse on any other subject than 
religion, except what was necessary to the economy 
of life, was to him a fearful indication that they were 
destitute of it; or that believers who agreed as to the 
spirit and constituent principles of Christianity, 
should so differ about modes of worship or their sec¬ 
tarian interests, as to produce an uncharitable or a 
bickering spirit and conversation, appeared to him a 


92 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


religious solecism. He often therefore returned 
from the company of some religious persons disap¬ 
pointed and grieved, scarcely able to exercise that 
charity which hopcth all things and believeth all 
things, not properly considering that while he was 
waiting for their conversation, they from what they 
had heard of him and from diffidence in themselves, 
were waiting for his. Thus, while he improper ly 
attributed their silence to want of zeal and spiritual- 
mindedness, they as improperly attributed his silence 
to Indian hauteur, which shews how cautious Chris¬ 
tians should be in putting unfavorable constructions 
on the conduct of each other. 

For some months after the Captain understood the 
knowledge of salvation through Christ, he believed 
what he read in the word of God without hesitation. 
Fueling that the gospel was just suited to his case, 
and not doubting but that God was sincere in his 
gracious invitations, and hrmlv believing his faith¬ 
fulness to his promises, he cordially received the re¬ 
medy that infinite love had provided, and resting his 
soul on the oath and promises of God, he enjoyed 
the comforts of the gospel in a high degree. He 
experimentally knew' that the kingdom of God w as 
in righteousness, peace and joy. He was able to 
call God his Father, and he walked all day in the 
light of his countenance. Old things were passed 
away and all things were become new. Those who 
were most intimate with him, often found it a presage 
of heaven to be in his company. The “first love” 
of some was brought to their remembrance and re¬ 
kindled into aflame; others were deeply humbled and 
excited to close investigation of their own state, 
fearing by a comparison of themselves with him, that 
they had never felt the saving pow r er of religion on 
their soul. 

That believers of considerable standing in the 
church should question their interest in the blessings 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


93 


of the gospel, and be sometimes in darkness and 
despondency, were facts to him hardly credible and 
perfectly unaccountable. Time, however, the cor¬ 
rector of our early mistakes, taught him that he had 
known but little of the plague of his own heart, or 
of Satan’s devices. Before two years had passed, 
former ideas recurred without their novelty, and con¬ 
sequently without the strength of first impressions, 
while on the other hand, old ideas returned, and old 
propensities revived, and struggled for ascendancy. 
The mind began to reflect on itself, and to trace its 
own operations in search of evidences of his being a 
partaker of the grace of God which bringeth salva¬ 
tion—Now a variety of deficiencies were discovered, 
and the power of indwelling sin w r as grievously felt. 
He began to question whether his knowledge were 
not merely scientific, the effect of human, instead of 
divine teaching; whether his pleasures of religion 
were not the excitements of mere human passions, 
instead of the exercise of gracious affections; whe¬ 
ther his confidence in the promises were not pre¬ 
sumption, and his zeal for God the mere love of no¬ 
velty and of self-applause. Not having yet learnt, 
while the eye of self-examination is investigating the 
state of the soul, to keep the eye of faith steadily 
directed to first principles, the infinite love of the 
Father, the efficacious atonement of the Savior, and 
the promised agency of the Holy Ghost, his soul 
was involved in sore distress. While he was look¬ 
ing into the abyss of his own heart and into “the 
horrible pit” into which sin had plunged him, he for¬ 
got the rock on which he w r as standing. He now 
fell into the practice of most young Christians, he 
reasoned on his feelings when he should have lived 
by faith; the one he might have done, but he should 
not have left the other undone. This however is a 
lesson not easily learnt, and when learnt it is not 
easily practiced. 

8 


94 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


His friend in the ministry had now to present 
another class of truths to his mind, and direct to 
another course of reading. The experimental writ¬ 
ings of Dr. Owen were especially recommended, as 
giving a sound scriptural view of the work of God 
in the sou!—such as his works on justification by 
faith—on spiritual mindedness—on communion with 
God—on the nature of the forgiveness of sin, and 
the case of a soul distressed with the guilt of sin, and 
relieved by a discovery of forgiveness with God, ex¬ 
plained in his Exposition of the 130th Psalm—on 
indwelling sin—and, on the nature, grounds, and 
evidences of the faith of God’s elect. 

After a few months more, his mind was recover¬ 
ed from its perplexities; he had clearer views of the 
warrant of faith, and better understood the nature 
of Christian experience. Though he perceived that 
the sanctification of the Spirit, forms the evidence 
of our meetness for heaven, and is as essentially ne¬ 
cessary to salvation, as an interest in the justifying 
righteousness of Christ, yet that the atonement of the 
Redeemer and the promises of God, constitute the 
foundation of our hope of acceptance w itb him. On 
this basis he was enabled to build the superstructure 
of faith, hope and practice, and when the evidences 
of grace became weak and indistinct, be had re¬ 
course to these first principles to revive and strength¬ 
en them. 

Early in the year 1796, he was admitted a mem¬ 
ber of the-church of Christ in Orange Street, Port- 
sea, with great pleasure to the minister and to the 
people. IIis residence being ten miles from the 
place of worship, prevented his frequently associating 
with the pious, aged and established members of the 
church. This was aconsiderable disadvantage to him, 
for as “iron sharpeneth iron, so doth the counte¬ 
nance of a man his friend.” Habits of activity and 
benevolence are seldom formed from merely reading; 


HIS CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. 


95 


they generally arise from example and association. 
It is much to be lamented that many Christians 
have resided in country villages, surrounded with 
the poor and the ignorant, perishing for lack of 
knowledge, without using any means to instruct and 
save them, while those who live at a distance from 
such scenes, frequently converse on the most neces¬ 
sary and suitable objects of benevolence, and devise 
the means of sending the Gospel into the unenlight¬ 
ened villages around them. The Captain had not 
been sufficiently long in the church to have learnt 
the principles, and to form the habits of an active 
and extensive Christian zeal. He bad previous to 
his conversion, given proofs of considerable gener¬ 
osity to some of his relations, and which he increas¬ 
ed after he had experienced the power of divine 
grace. But he had not been particularly excited to 
the exercise of liberality for the cause of God, till his 
minister, preaching regularly on a Sabbath morning 
through the eleventh chapter of the Hebrews, shewed 
that faith not only induces the negative parts of a 
Christian’s conduct in his abstaining from that 
which is wrong, but that it excites and impels to the 
active and benevolent virtues of the Christian life. 

This course of subjects excited in the Captain’s 
mind, a considerable degree of painful anxiety, res¬ 
pecting his state as a Christian. He now fully per¬ 
ceived that the design of God in imparting divine 
grace to the heart, was not only to save the individ¬ 
ual, but to make him the means of saving others. 
“Ye are the salt of the earth” and “the light of the 
world” began to revibrate in his conscience, as 
though spoken from heaven by the lips of his Savior, 
lie had reason to hope that his faith had done some¬ 
thing for him, but it now became a solicitous inquiry* 
“what has my faith induced me to do for others?” 
To this train of reflections is to be attributed the 


96 MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON# 

reason for liis offering himself to the Missionary So¬ 
ciety, to convey their first missionaries to the islands 
of the Pacific Ocean. 


PART III. 


From ihe Captain's commencing the Missionary 
Voyage to the South Sea Islands , till his return 
and settling in London . 

Whether the Islands in the South Seas were the 
most elegible situation in which to commence the 
efforts of the Missionary Society, is now, after al¬ 
most twenty years, a question of little importance to 
decide, as several other missions have since been 
established with various success, and time only can 
fully determine that point; yet it may be useful to 
observe, that many advantages arose out of that 
mission. It was of great importance to the mission¬ 
ary cause, that the Society should commence its op¬ 
erations by some Mission that was most calculated 
to excite tiie attention of the religious world to this 
interesting subject, to diffuse the missionary spirit 
and impart its impulsive energies to the Christian 
churches abroad and at home, without exciting jeal¬ 
ousies and opposition injurious to its progress. 

Had the Society been more slow and private in its 
operations at its first commencement, it is hardly 
probable that such a Missionary flame would have 
been lighted up in the world, as was seen to blaze 
in England and to spread to many of the churches 



HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


97 


on the continents of Europe and America. Their 
plans gave publicity to the subject, and excited a 
lively interest in their design, it was a new event 
in the Protestant church, for a ship to be wholly 
employed to convey Missionaries to the most distant 
part of the globe. By this means the public atten¬ 
tion and benevolence were excited in a good degree 
corresponding with the magnitude of their object. 
If it should be admitted that the sanguine expecta¬ 
tion of many attributed more importance to the So¬ 
ciety’s having a ship employed for the purpose, than 
properly belonged to it, and that the description of 
the South Sea Islands was too highly wrought, little 
short of the descriptions of the Elysiari fields, or the 
primeval paradise; yet it must be admitted also, that 
all this increased the popularity of the subject, and 
gave a glowing tinge to the Missionary hemisphere, 
which made it appear highly propitious to this glo¬ 
rious design. 

it was also a station, which could give no possible 
offence to our own or to any other government or 
national church upon earth. Perhaps there was 
no other place to which the attention and energetic 
operations of the Missionary Society could have 
been directed, at that perturbed period of the world, 
without exciting the jealous opposition of our own or 
some other government. The South Sea and South 
African Missions, gave time for the character of the 
Missionary Society to be established in the estima¬ 
tion of government, and showing by its sermons, 
public meetings, and conduct, that its objects were 
purely religious, to obtain its confidence and even its 
patronage. Such has been the character of the 
Society', through the wisdom and prudence of its 
official conductors in London, that successive ad¬ 
ministrations have lent an attentive ear to their 
various representations, and have afforded them 
their protection and countenance. The influence of 
*8 


98 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


this Society, in union with other societies formed 
for the purpose of accomplishing the same benevo¬ 
lent object, has excited such a missionary spirit in 
the nation, that Parliament has been induced to open 
a more effectual door for the entrance of the Gospel 
into Indostan, and to hold a shield of protection over 
the Missionaries already there. The character of 
the first South Sea Mission, contributed in no small 
degree to produce this effect, and Captain Wilson 
was no insignificant agent in the work. L would 
not put the influence of this event in comparison with 
the repute the Society has since obtained by Mr. 
Morrison, one of its Missionaries, being the first 
European who has translated, printed, and circula¬ 
ted the whole of the New Testament in the Chinese 
language. Yet at the commencement of the Society, 
the benevolence of an independent gentleman, in not 
only offering his services to the Society without re¬ 
ward, but in spending more than five hundred 
pounds in the Mission—his skill as a navigator—his 
prudence in presiding among the Missionaries—and 
his success in the voyage, stamped a respectability 
on the Society, which proved beneficial in its influ¬ 
ence in many, both of the British and foreign 
churches. 

Captain Wilson’s friend, Dr. Havveis, shall here 
relate, with a few alterations, the manner in which 
he was led to engage in that noble and benevolent 
design. 

One day, after returning from Portsea, as the 
Captain was walking in his garden, he meditated on 
the faith of Abraham, in leaving his country and 
friends at the call of God, not knowing whither he 
went. This was the subject of the sermon he had 
heard that day. On reviewing the circumstances of 
the Patriarch, he was much affected by the wonders 
wrought by faith, and admired the devotedness and 
self denial of the worthies recorded in the eleventh 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


99 


chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews. While he 
mused on the nature and evidence of the faith there 
described, as the substance of things hoped for, and 
the evidence of things not seen, he began to question 
himself on the reality of his own, and felt a rising 
fear in his mind, lest he should have deceived him¬ 
self by placing doctrinal opinions in the stead of 
divine convictions of the truth. He asked himself, 
if called in Providence to suffer or to serve like 
these, whether he could as readily give up all for 
Christ and go forth at the divine bidding. 

The impressions made by these reflections, fixed 
deeply on his heart for several weeks, and his mind 
underwent many harassing fears and desponding 
feelings on this subject; till one day afler receiving 
the Evangelical Magazine, the first subject which 
caught his eye and attention, was the account of a 
design to form a Missionary Society in London, and 
if possible to convey the gospel to the islands of the 
Pacific Ocean. The thought immediately forcibly 
struck his mind, “If you are wanted to command 
the expedition, have you faith to sacrifice all the 
comforts around you, and freely devoting yourself to 
the service, could you embark once more on the 
deep, not to increase your substance, but to seek the 
souls redeemed by the blood of the Lamb?” He felt 
that moment he could do it with pleasure; he per¬ 
ceived his faith was equal to the sacrifice, he read 
the chapter over with delight, and was sure he could, 
if called, give himself up to God. 

He had enjoyed some happy hours in these medi¬ 
tations. They were the frequent subjects of his 
thoughts, when one day a series of new ideas rose 
up in his mind, to which he had been hitherto a 
stranger. He had hardly during all the years of 
service on the sea ever known what fear was: he had 
been unaffected by the storms which he had encoun¬ 
tered, and never thought of the perils of the deepj 


100 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


but now the dangers and difficulties to which such 
an enterprize must expose him, rose up tremendous 
to his view, and he began to reason on the folly of 
quitting his present comfortable abode for a life so 
very different; and determined to try to banish the 
idea from his mind. It followed him, however, in 
spite of all his efforts. Fearing to trust his own 
judgment, he resolved to communicate his thoughts 
to some of his serious and most judicious friends, 
state to them the feelings of his mind, and have their 
advice on the subject. 

The general voice, on the view of his circumstan¬ 
ces, rather discouraged his entertaining any further 
thoughts of the matter. Though they highly ap¬ 
proved of the Mission, and honored his zeal in de¬ 
siring to promote so glorious a cause; some of them 
did not see his call clear to quit his present station, 
and persuaded him to weigh the subject well in his 
own mind before he determined. His mind, however, 
rested not at ease. He was conscious be ought not 
to move but on some evident call of necessity—that 
he must see the path of duty clear before he quitted 
the comfortable settlement he enjoyed, and though 
his heart was greatly drawn out in prayer for the 
glorious object of the Mission, he resolved to wait 
awhile the leadings of Providence, without entirely 
renouncing his purposes of service, if required, 

A general meeting of the Hampshire Association 
of Ministers being held at Salisbury, among other 
objects to consider, the subject of forming a Mission¬ 
ary Society, to decide on the intended Mission, and 
to promote its accomplishment; he determined to 
accompany his minister thither and hear what 
should be advanced on the occasion. There also he 
mentioned to some of the brethren the impression 
which rested on his mind; but they rather in general 
damped than encouraged his sensations ©n the sub¬ 
ject; and though they zealously favored the Mission- 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


101 


ary attempt, they hardly thought his services would 
he necessary, as it was to them improbable that a 
ship would be employed solely for that purpose. 

lie had now, probably, dropped all further 
thoughts of the matter, if the first General Mission¬ 
ary Meeting had not called up his pastor with many 
others to town, in order to consult what steps were 
proper to be pursued at the commencement of so 
great an undertaking. The Captain resolved to be 
of the party, to see and hear for himself what was 
the object intended, and the means proposed for 
carrying the Mission into effect. 

Previous to his going to London, feeling his mind 
in a painful state of perplexity and incapacity to de¬ 
cide what was right, he informed his minister, that 
he had made up his mind to leave the case with him; 
lie should have all the responsibility of his offering 
his service, or of declining it. His friend was natu¬ 
rally unwilling easily to give up such a respectable 
and useful member of his church, and to sacrifice 
the pleasure of his society, yet felt sufficient zeal for 
the cause* not improperly to influence his mind on 
such a subject. He however, declined accepting 
such a responsibility, but declared himself willing to 
consult with him most conscientiously what was 
right, when the plan of the Society should be more 
fully developed. 

As the thing was evidently of the Lord, he came 
with a mind prepared for the work, in the eternal 
counsels appointed him to fulfil. He listened w ith 
serious attention to the discourse delivered at the 
Castle and Falcon, to the body of the Society 
“w herein I,” says Dr. Haweis, “expressed my con¬ 
fidence, that however difficult the work might appear, 
God would provide instruments for the execution of 
Ids ow n purposes; that the means would never be 
wanting if we'zealously set our shoulders to the 
yoke, and considered the glory of the object and the 


loa 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


urgency of the call. He attended next day at Spa 
Fields Chapel, and heard the first discourse, since 
published, enforcing our duty, describing the objects, 
and suggesting the steps necessary for the execu¬ 
tion. These met his full approbation, and contrib¬ 
uted to decide his mind on the subject. He desired 
his friend to call upon me and appoint an interview. 
His minister described the rnan and his conversation, 
situation, circumstances in life, his ability and 
zeal. My very heart,” says this venerable minister, 
‘•leaped with joy at the proposal, and I was filled 
with hope, that God, in different places, was raising 
up men unknown to each other, for the accomplish¬ 
ment of his own purposes toward the heathen. I 
begged to see him without delay, and we met next 
morning, when, after some conference concerning 
the Mission, with great modesty and diffidence, but 
with a decided purpose, he intimated, that if the 
Society could not find a better conductor, w hich he 
wished and hoped they might, the service should 
not be impeded for lack of nautical skill, and that he 
w as ready, without other reward than the satisfaction 
Resulting from the service, to devote himself to the 
work, with whatever inconvenience to himself it 
might be attended. He gave me an account of the 
dealings of God with him, and expressed a sense of 
the obligation he was under to our Lord to dedicate 
himself to this service, as he said he should never 
forgive himself if he held back when his help was 
wanted, ft was now agreed between him and his 
minister that he should write a letter, addressed to 
the Chairman of the next meeting, in the name of 
the Captain, offering his services to the Society, 
should they be needed, to carry its designs into 
effect. The letter was accordingly written, and two 
of the Directors were appointed as a Committee to 
converse with Captain Wilson on the subject. They 
were equally charmed with his modesty, ability, 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


103 


zeal ami devotedness of heart to the work, and con¬ 
curred in opinion, that nothing could tend more 
powerfully to the accomplishment of our designs, 
than having such a man to command the vessel that 
should convey the Missionaries to the place of their 
destination. The offer was therefore embraced by 
the Directors with delight, and contributed in a very 
special manner to animate our confidence, that God 
would provide all other necessary means and quick¬ 
en us to execute the work without delay.” 

“I may speak with confidence,” says the Doctor, 
in his memoir presented to the Society at its last 
meeting, “where my brethren are all so unanimous 
in opinion, that a man more highly qualified for this 
work could not be hoped for, if we had the choice of 
the whole land. In all his manners a gentleman—a 
mein that is commanding—an age yet in the prime 
of vigor with the maturity of experience—and with 
all, an amiability of diffidence of offering himself, 
that seemed only conquerable by the calls of the mis¬ 
sion and the deep impressions resting on his own 
heart. I confess I have been so struck with the cir¬ 
cumstance, and many other particulars I could men¬ 
tion, that 1 know not where to close. 

“The Captain being presented to the Directors, 
confirmed the report which had been made; and 
though he hoped we might yet find an abler com¬ 
mander, and in that case he might be excused, and 
his heart be at rest; yet he pledged himself, if we 
could not, to do his best for the mission; and that at 
whatever time he should be called into the service, 
he would come up and prepare for the voyage. At 
the end of the week, when the Society broke up, he 
returned to his house in the country, leaving the 
deepest impression upon every man who conversed 
with him, that never did a person appear more emi¬ 
nently qualified for the discharge of this service than 
the man so providentially prepared for us. 


104 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


“Some months elapsed in the preparatory steps, 
in seeking out. and examining missionaries, provid¬ 
ing funds, and weighing the properest means of 
carrying the proprosed mission into effect. After 
long and ample discussion, it was resolved that the 
attempt should be made in a ship belonging to the 
Society, sufficient to carry thirty missionaries, and 
that Captain James Wilson be requested to undertake 
the command. This resolution was accordingly 
communicated to him, and though he had met with 
many causes to damp his zeal, and deter him from 
the service, he continued fixed in his purpose, and 
his correspondence breathed a spirit so truly noble, 
that it was impossible not to congratulate each other 
on such an acquisition. 

“The mission being now in great forwardness, and 
a second General Meeting in May, 1 r96, having 
confirmed all our former resolutions, the Captain 
was desired to come up, which lie did, and took an 
active part in the preparations.—Not less than seven 
or eight times did he go up and down, though more 
than sixty miles from town, at his own expense; 
sought out, and purchased a proper vessel, forwarded 
every thing in his department; engaged the mari¬ 
ners, and settled all his own affairs for so long an 
absence. He sold his house at Horndean, fixed his 
niece in London, and prepared to embark with the 
missionaries in a long and perilous navigation. 

“Through the whole of his eventful story, we dis¬ 
cover a beautiful and admirable developement of the 
leadings of Divine Providence Who would have 
looked for a commander of a Christian Mission, in an 
impious and infidel sailor, chained in a prison at 
Seririgapatam? Who would have expected to have 
found the man who returned from India, contradict¬ 
ing and blaspheming the faithful leader in the mis¬ 
sionary cause, within five years afterwards, on the 
quarter deck, in the midst of prayer and praise, car- 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


105 


Eying the everlasting Gospel to the Isles of the Pa¬ 
cific Ocean? Who that reads the history of his 
eventful life, can hesitate to confirm the exclamation 
of the Moor-man, ‘This is God’s man!” 

About this time he wrote to his friend at Fortsea, 
describing the state of his mind. 

London,) June 23, 1796. 

“My Dear Friend, 

<*According to my promise, I write to inform you, of 
a siiip having been purchased yesterday afternoon. 
I this morning took possession. She is the first rate 
vessel of her burden in the river, but when 1 tell 
you she cost live thousand pounds, you will think she 
ought to be a good one. Such is the high value of 
ships at present, that I think she is worth what we 
gave for her. She is river built, two years old, cop¬ 
per bottomed and fastened, and a complete vessel for 
our purpose. I cannot help observing that it will re¬ 
quire all the well-wishers of the cause to exert them¬ 
selves to the utmost—but why should I talk thus? 
Has He not power to command the gold, that com¬ 
manded such a rebellious wretch as I was, to be wil¬ 
ling in the day of his power! 

“Praise be to God for all his mercies. Were it 
not for the many precious promises, I know not 
what 1 should do, for it is really hard parting from 
all those we fondly love, and entering into a sea of 
trouble and perplexity. I look back on my past 
life with pain, to my future pilgrimage I look with 
fear and trembling, but to that state w here we shall all 
meet, and every tear be w iped from our eyes, 1 look 
with a pleasing hope, that I shall be one of that happy 
number, that God in his great mercy has chosen. 
This cheers my drooping spirits and causes me to 
press onward for the prize, forgetting the past and 
the present, and looking only to the future for real 
happiness. 


9 


106 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


“Had 1 thought I should have been held up to 
public view, as 1 have been by some of my friends, I 
should most certainly never have offered myself, but 
now there is no retreating. 

“I therefore trust that the Lord will strengthen 
me for the work, and enable me to accomplish it to 
his praise and glory. Ah! my worthy and dear 
friend, you say what I now experience; ‘New en¬ 
gagements and new circumstances will cause new 
trials ’ I am persuaded that even at this early stage 
of the business, 1 have seen more of the human heart, 
than 1 should have known for years in the calm re¬ 
treat of a country life, but knowledge is of little use 
if it does not influence the heart. If I do not deceive 
myself, 1 think I feel more humble, and And Jesus 
more precious than ever, and a throne of grace the 
greatest consolation I can enjoy. 

“I am your affectionate brother in Christ, 

“J. Wilson.” 

London , July 27, 1796. 

“My very dear Friend, 

“1 have just time to tell you, I received your kind 
and affectionate letter; it came at a very suitable 
time. I had just returned from the India House, 
where l met with the severest ridicule; but blessed 
be God, I bore it with patience, and I trust this is 
some proof, that he will bear me up through every 
trial and difficulty. 

“I find my mind, though severely pained, yet 
quite resigned to the will of my gracious God and 
Father, and can look up to him for a supply of grace 
and strength in the trying hour of parting. You 
are mistaken, my dear friend, respecting my in¬ 
ward conflicts; l have never been more assaulted by 
the great adversary, since I professed to believe the 
truth as it is in Jesus, than I have recently; but 
blessed be his name, he has kept me, though I have 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


10 7 


been constrained to cry out, ‘0 wretched man that I 
am, w ho shall deliver me from the body of this death/ 
My inward and outward trials keep me very low, 
but l trust the Lord will enable me to carry his peo¬ 
ple to the furthermost parts of the globe. Should he 
bless me thus far, 1 trust I shall then be able to resign 
my all into his hands; for the only thing I wish now 
to live for is to promote his glory.—Your a/Fection- 
ate letter l shall peruse when l am many leagues 
from you, and will follow your kind advice. 

“1 hope the Lord will be with you of a truth. I 
shall be on my knees at half-past six on the morning 
you allude to, for the purpose of praying for you 
and my church, through whose instrumentality I 
have received such unspeakable blessings. 

“I am, ever, ever, your affectionate friend, 

“J. Wilson.” 

The ship purchased for the voyage, was called the 
Duff. In her were embarked, four ordained minis¬ 
ters, a surgeon, and twenty-five other Missionaries 
or settlers, being pious persons, having for the most 
part been engaged in business or mercantile employ¬ 
ments, highly necessary to impart the principles and 
habits of civilization to the South Sea Islanders, to¬ 
gether with six women, wives of some of the Mis¬ 
sionaries, and three children. 

The ship was manned by three principal officers, 
besides a gunner, carpenter, steward, and sail-maker, 
fifteen other sailors and the Captain, most of whom 
made a profession of being under the influence of 
Christian principles. They sailed from the River 
Thames, August 10th, 1796, having for their flag 
hoisted at the mizen-top-gallant-mast-head, three 
doves argent on a purple field, bearing olive branches 
in their bills. The ship was navigated to Spithead, 
by Mr. William Wilson, the chief mate, where the 
Captain joined her and took the command. Here 


308 


MEMOIRS OF CAFTAIN WHS OX. 


they were detained, waiting for wind or convoy for 
some weeks. Several of the Directors from Lon¬ 
don, visited the ship, and crowds of pious people 
from the neighboring towns, who left a variety of 
presents either for the Missionaries or for the natives. 
Such was the fervor of the Captain’s religious zeal, 
like most persons under first impressions and in new 7 
religious engagements, that he declared himself as- 
t nished, after what he had heard in London, that 
none of the prominent ministers should offer to go as 
Missionaries. lie was equally surprised that any, 
who were not absolutely bound by circumstances, 
and had felt the power of truth, and knew the stale 
of the heathen world, could quietly remain in Eng¬ 
land, while millions abroad were perishing for lack 
of knowledge, liis minister did not wish to damp 
his zeal, but urged a variety of considerations to re¬ 
gulate it. At the request of the Captain, he wrote 
in a book, various cautions, counselsand admonitions, 
under different heads. These he often read, and as 
he afterwards expressed, found them of unspeakable 
advantage to him. His friend was aware, that though 
he had been extensively acquainted w ith the world in 
general, he had known but little comparatively of 
the religious world. Perceiving that his standard of 
the Christian character was fixed very high, and his 
hopes corresponded with it, he endeavored to mod¬ 
erate his expectations and prepare him for disap¬ 
pointments. 

He pointed out to him, that among such a number,, 
there would necessarily he a great diversity of tem¬ 
pers, prejudices and degrees of education, Christian 
knowledge, and gracious dispositions, which, when 
circumstances put them to the trial, and their inter¬ 
ests and passions were affected, would, without 
materially affecting their moral or Christian charac¬ 
ter, create differences of opinion, and excite consid¬ 
erable tenacity of feeling and conduct. The pro- 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


109 


bable failures of Christians were drawn rather in 
dark shades, that his sanguine expectation, in case 
of some disappointments, might not overwhelm him 
with discouragement. Without intending any re¬ 
flection either upon him or others, it may be observ¬ 
ed, that he soon found these cautions highly neces¬ 
sary. It is easy to delineate what a Christian should 
be, but in our intercourse with the Christian world, 
we ought to expect no more from others, than we are 
willing they should expec t from us. Undue expec¬ 
tation of excellencies in others may lead to undue se¬ 
verities towards those whose foibles disappoint us, 
and thus hurry us into opposite extremes. The 
Captain was a young Christian, most of the Mis¬ 
sionaries were so, and such were most of those who 
professed to be religious among the sailors; no won¬ 
der therefore if some aged and experienced persons 
trembled for the ark of God, and that the fears of 
the Captain’s friend should have been awakened by 
his own reflections, as well as by the apprehensions 
of others. However, there is no one deeply ac¬ 
quainted with the human heart, and who has had an 
extensive knowledge of Christian society, when lie 
considers how rapidly the Mission was formed, and 
the persons who composed or conducted it were 
brought together, and who has had an opportunity 
of knowing all that passed during that voyage, as 
the author has had, but will be astonished that its 
progress and termination displayed so many excel¬ 
lencies and so few real faults, either in the Captain 
or the persons connected with the Mission or the 
voyage. 

The Captain had an arduous task to perform. He 
had duties to discharge, which required great diver¬ 
sity of talent, and even opposite qualifications. 
Among the sailors, he had to maintain authority and 
command, and yet conduct himself towards them as 
a brother in Christ. Among the Missionaries* lisr 
9* 


110 


MEMOIRS OE CAPTAIN WILSON. 


had to preside in tlieir meetings of debates and ar¬ 
rangements, am! at once to step from the command 
on the quarter-deck into the Missionary cabin, and 
there, forgetting that he was Captain, to preside as 
a brother. Such a situation required great firmness 
and decision of character, and yet much real kind¬ 
ness and pliability of temper. These observations 
will be fully confirmed by a perusal of the following 
well written, but diversified and important instruc¬ 
tions, given to the Captain by the Directors. These 
placed him under great responsibility, not as it re¬ 
garded the navigation of the ship only, but in con¬ 
ducting the different Missions, and that too through 
the medium of the votes of the Missionaries. 


Letter of Instruction to Captain James Wilson fro in 
the Directors . 


August 5, 1796. 

“The constant protection with which it has pleas¬ 
ed the Divine Being to favor the concerns of the 
Missionary Society, renders it incumbent on us, be¬ 
fore we enter on the immediate subject of our ad¬ 
dress to you, to make an humble and undissembled 
acknowledgment of the gratitude which is due to 
Him, and to recognize with thankfulness the fre¬ 
quent and manifest interpositions of his hand in fa¬ 
vor of this institution. 

“Among many other occurrences which have ap¬ 
peared to us of a nature peculiarly providential, and 
which we have considered as the proofs of the con¬ 
descending care with which it has pleased the great 
Head of the church to regard this undertaking, there 
has been none that excited more gratitude to his 
name, or occasioned more universal satisfaction 
among ourselves, than the circumstance of your hav¬ 
ing been inclined to consecrate yourself to the ser¬ 
vice of God on this interesting occasion. We trust 


HIS missionary voyage. 


Ill 


that the same Being*, from whom the disposition has 
proceeded, will impart the grace which is Vequisite 
to accomplish the arduous service, and inspire the 
wisdom which is needful for the execution of its im¬ 
portant duties. 

“Connected with us in the direction of the affairs 
of the Society, you are fully apprised of the nature 
and design of the expedition you have undertaken to 
conduct. You are aware that it is not only in its na¬ 
ture singular, and almost without a precedent, but 
that it is also one of the most honorable and most 
important services which can be confided to a humau 
being. 

“The attention of the Christian world is very 
generally excited to the object, and devout interces¬ 
sions are continually ascending like incense to hea¬ 
ven for its success. Should it be favored with the 
blessing of God, it may be the direct means of im¬ 
parting divine light and eternal life to great multi¬ 
tudes of immortal beings, and may form an sera of 
distinguished importance in the history of human 
redemption. In this view of the interesting nature 
of the business we are engaged in, it is with sincere 
affection and peculiar satisfaction, that we the Direc¬ 
tors of the Institution, not only invest you with the 
command of the ship, and with full and complete au¬ 
thority for the management of its concerns in rela¬ 
tion to the voyage, but also commit to your care and 
superintendence during the same period, the more 
important charge of the Mission itself, and especial¬ 
ly of those faithful brethren who accompany you 
therein. Dear to our Savior, in whose name they 
go forth, these apostolic men will have a strong in¬ 
terest in your affections also. Having forsaken their 
friends and their country for the love of Christ, and 
with the desire of spreading the honors of his name 
among the heathen, they will seek in your kind at¬ 
tention an equivalent for the endearing connexions 


112 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


they have relinquished, and you will be desirous of 
extending toward them the wise superintendence of 
a parent, and the affectionate sympathy of a brother. 
You will cheer the spirit that is liable to droop un¬ 
der the pressure of its anxieties, or administer the 
word of admonition to the disciple that is in danger 
of erring. You will be among them the centre of 
union, to reconcile their divisions, and confirm their 
love—the universal friend, in whose bosom they will 
deposit their diversified cares. 

<*As it is needful you should be furnished with in¬ 
structions both with respect to the voyage itself, and 
also with relation to the establishment of the Mis¬ 
sion, it is our duty to desire that after having receiv¬ 
ed your cargo on board, an invoice whereof you 
will be furnished with, and also the Missionaries 
who are to accompany you, whose names and occu¬ 
pations you will have an account of, you will please 
to proceed with all possible dispatch to Portsmouth, 
in order to join the East India convoy now lying 
there, to which you are to attach yourself, and to use 
every exertion in your power to keep company with 
it, as far us its course and yours are designed to 
coincide 

“In case the convoy should stop at Tencriffe, you 
will procure four pipes of the best wine in hogsheads, 
for which you will apply to the house of Messrs. 
Paisley and Little, and reimburse them for the 
amount by your draft on the Treasurer to the Insti¬ 
tution. You wiil endeavor to procure from thence 
two or three bunches of dried grapes of the best 
kind, and the seeds of such tropical fruits as you 
may think it would be advantageous to take with 
you You will also endeavor to procure one ram 
sheep and two ewes, to be preserved for the purpose 
of breeding, and also a male and female ass for tbe 
same purpose. You will also at this place probably 
have an opportunity of giving your ship’s company 


Ills MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


113 


and the passengers, several meals of fresh meat and 
vegetables; which, as it will promote their health 
and comfort, we are well persuaded w ill not escape 
your attention. On taking your departure from 
TeneriiTe, we wish y ou to consider the port of Rio 
de Janeiro, on the coast of Brazil, as your next ob¬ 
ject. At that place you will be able to lay in a stock 
of sugar very cheap, for the use of the ship’s com¬ 
pany and missionaries on the voyage, as well as 
for the latter after they are put on shore; as also 
tobacco, cliocolate, cochineal plant, and many oth¬ 
er vegetable productions useful for consumption and 
cultivation at the settlement. Here you will also 
embrace the opportunity to procure a supply of 
fresh meat and other desirable articles for the re¬ 
freshment of the ship’s company at a reasonable rate. 

‘•From this port, we wish you to proceed by way 
of Cape Horn to the Island of Otaheite, there to 
put in execution the directions which will he here¬ 
after suggested, so far as they may appear to you 
eligible on your arrival. In the mean time, we 
think it material to provide against the probability 
of y our meeting with a foul w ind iri your attempt to 
double Cape Horn, in which case, after having made 
the first attempt as close in with the land as you 
think consistent with the safety of the ship, w e re¬ 
commend you to stand to the southward, to the dis¬ 
tance of at least four or five degrees; when, if you 
still find the wind blow ingsteadily against you, rath¬ 
er than lose much time in attempting to heat against 
it, we advise you to bear up and run for the Cape of 
Good Hope, where you will find those refreshments 
which by that time you will stand in need of 

“On jour arrival in the South Seas, the destined 
scene of your benevolent exertions, the immediate 
prospect of the important service before you will im¬ 
press your mind with peculiar weight, and you will 
be anxious to fulfil to the utmost of your power the 


114 


MEMOIRS OE CAPTAIN WILSON. 


engagement you have undertaken. You will then 
recollect that the sphere of your activity is widely 
extended, and includes a considerable number of 
different islands remotely situated from each other; 
you will be reminded of the resolution of the General 
Meeting, which was thus expressed: 

‘That a mission he undertaken to Otaheite, the 
Friendly Islands, the Marquesas, the Sandwich, and 
the Pelew Islands, in a ship belonging to the Socie¬ 
ty, to be commanded by Captain Wilson, as far as 
may he practicable and expedient.* 

“This resolution embraces a plan of great extent 
and importance, and proceeds from the laudable and 
benevolent desire of introducing the knowledge of 
Christ into as many different islands as possible; 
you will therefore consider this resolution as the 
rule of your conduct, and keep it in your remem¬ 
brance in all your proceedings. It is sot to be de¬ 
parted from without solid and important reasons; 
for as the gospel of Christ is a blessing beyond the 
power of calculation to estimate, the desirableness 
of sending it to as many islands as possible, is in 
proportion to its inestimable value. We do not 
mean however, to encourage you to adopt a system 
of Missionary enterprise beyond the boundaries of 
discretion; we do not urge you to depart from the 
principles of prudence and caution which so impor¬ 
tant an occasion requires; nor by attempting to in¬ 
troduce tlie advantages of Christianity in many 
places, so to divide your numbers, as to weaken 
your efforts too much in each, and endanger your 
success in all. The resolution is not intended to 
prevent a wise and discreet circumspection* It is 
indeed desirable to introduce the Gospel into several 
islands, but it is necessary, if possible, to establish it 
in one; for if you concentrate your exertions, and 
gain a solid establishment in one place, it may be¬ 
come the germ of their missionary efforts, and be a 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


115 


sacred leaven which may gradually spread its bene¬ 
ficial influence through numerous and distant islands 
of the South Seas. Thus you will perceive, that al¬ 
though the resolution by which you arc to endeavor 
to regulate your operations is of great extent, and 
highly desirable to be accomplished, yet that it is 
limited by the considerations of practicability and 
expedience; and of these you will of necessity be the 
best qualified to judge. 

“The question respecting the practicability of vis¬ 
iting so many distant islands must be decided by cir¬ 
cumstances which it is impossible for us to antici¬ 
pate; and even to you, when in the South Seas, a 
mission may appear to be practicable which you 
nevertheless may not think it expedient to attempt. 
For instance, the Pelew Islands are the last which 
in the order of your voyage you will have occasion 
to visit. The character of the natives furnishes a 
strong inducement to establish a mission among 
them, and the attempt may also appear to be prac¬ 
ticable; but would you think it expedient to take a 
few' Missionaries from the islands at a great distance 
to windward, at an uncertainty of the reception 
which a missionary plan might meet with in the for¬ 
mer? Suppose that by a new 7 chief having arisen with 
less favorable dispositions than the father of Lee 
Boo, or through any other cause you should be pre¬ 
vented from leaving our brethren there, with per¬ 
fect satisfaction to yourself and them, what would 
be the effect? You could not admit of the waste of 
time, and the expenditure of money which it would 
require to convey them to the islands where your 
other Missionaries may have been established, even 
if your return thither against the trade wind was 
practicable; and you would probably have no alter¬ 
native but that of bringing them with you to their 
native land. The same reasoning may apply with 
respect to the Sandwich Islands. It is extremely 


116 


MEMOIRS Of CAPTAIN WILSON. 


desirable that the blessings of the Christian religion 
should be extended to those populous regions; hut 
the indubitable accounts which we have lately re¬ 
ceived of the actual state of those islands, do not per¬ 
mit us to recommend the establishment of a mission 
among them at present. A variety of considera¬ 
tions will occur to your mind, when you are to de¬ 
cide on what is practic able and expedient. If you 
look over the inventory of the different articles which 
make up your cargo, supplied by the liberality of 
our friends, or furnished from tlie funds of the 
Institution, you will probably conclude that they 
are much more adapled lor the co-operation of a 
number of individuals in one or two Societies, than 
for a distribution among more. When you consider 
the qualifications of the Missionaries, you will per¬ 
haps he inclined to think that remaining in one or 
two bodies, they may form models of civilized soci¬ 
ety, small indeed, but tolerably complete. There 
are some among them who are adapted to be useful 
by the improved state of their minds, and their fit¬ 
ness for taking the lead in religious services; there 
are others who are necessary on account of the skil¬ 
fulness of their hands and their knowledge of the 
useful arts; thus there would he among them that 
mutual dependance and usefulness which is the ce¬ 
ment of the social order. 

“If you should separate them into several parties 
for various missions, it would occur to you that this 
order and connexion would be very much broken; 
and as every mission should contain w ithin itself a 
competent fund both of divine and human knowl¬ 
edge, you might perhaps find it impracticable to ar¬ 
range our missionaries into several parties, and yet 
preserve among them these indispensable requisites. 
Among our brethren who accompany you we trust 
you will find some who possess a considerable ac¬ 
quaintance with the doctrines of Christianity in 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGU. 11 7 

their foumlation and mutual dependance, and are 
qualified for the defence and confirmation of the 
Gospel; but others of them have not perhaps a view 
of the subject sufficiently accurate and enlarged to 
fit them for the office of teachers. They understand 
indeed the doctrines of grace in the most precious 
sense, by experimental conviction; and having a 
general idea of them, may be very useful to the hea¬ 
then by means of their conversation, as well as their 
exemplary lives. But in every mission, however 
small, it is essential that there should be some whose 
minds have acquired a maturity in divine things, 
and who are scribes well instructed in the kingdom 
of heaven. This it might be difficult for you to ac¬ 
complish on the plan of establishing a number of 
different settlements. 

“If from these reasons, or others which may arise 
in your mind when you are amidst the scene of ac¬ 
tion, you judge that the cause of Christ among the 
heathen will be best promoted by the establishment 
of fewer missions, we shall receive great satisfaction, 
in finding that you are able to visit more islands, 
with a view to the introduction of the gospel among 
them at a future period. By means of some of the 
Europeans now probably residing at Otabeite, who 
may be disposed to accompany you, your access to 
the understandings of the islanders will be facilitated: 
you will easily communicate to them the beneficiai 
plan you are projecting in their favor, and you may 
ascertain how far a mission to any of them may be 
advisable. This mode of procedure is highly de¬ 
sirable, as it may throw a considerable light upon 
our future path, and assist our judgment respecting 
the designs of Providence toward these islands. It 
is the more to be recommended on account of the 
great degree of probability there is of our revisiting 
them soon after the safe return of our vessel from 
her present expedition; as it is evident with the as- 
10 


118 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


sistance of a freight homeward, the navigation to 
those seas may be hereafter undertaken at a little 
comparative expense, and thus opportunities be af¬ 
forded of frequent intercourse with them. Submit¬ 
ting these considerations to your attention, we now 
think it necessary to offer you a few more observa¬ 
tions derived from the best information we can ob¬ 
tain, and the best judgment we can at present form 
on the subject: you will adhere to them or not, as 
you may find it expedient when you arrive. 

“It is well known that Otaheite is the island on 
which the general expectation has been fixed, as the 
place where our first mission is to be attempted; 
and we have no reason to alter the opinion we at 
first entertained of the eligibility of the spot; but as 
our object is to introduce the gospel of Christ among 
the heathen, all partialities or predilections to par¬ 
ticular places must be made subservient to that end. 
We conceive you will visit that island before any 
other, and you will doubtless have an early inter- 
view r with the chiefs. It must be left to your own 
discretion how far you will unfold unto them the oc¬ 
casion of your voyage. You will also probably soon 
he visited by some Europeans, and will most likely 
find means to conciliate their esteem and confidence 
without committing yourself to them any further 
than you may think prudent. All your discrimina¬ 
tion may be requisite to fix on those among them 
who are best suited to become your instruments; 
from them you w ill learn the present state of this 
island, and perhaps of those adjacent, as to produce, 
population, disposition of the natives, and political 
relations. You will be on your guard against mis¬ 
representation, and by comparing different reports 
find out the truth. You will also guard against 
treachery and surprise. You w ill he cautious whom 
you admit on hoard; especially you will not allow 
the females, except the w ives of the chiefs, and only 


MIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


119 


a few at a time. Neither would it be prudent to 
permit too many of the English, if remaining at 
Otaheite, to be on board at once. You will take an 
early opportunity of visiting the smaller peninsula, 
as it has been represented by some voyagers to be 
the most fertile, well cultivated and abounding with 
cotton and sugar cane. Let the ship run down to 
the ad jacent islands of Eimeo, examine the harbors 
ofTaloo and Avoitai, converse with the chiefs, learn 
the present state of that island, and the dispositions 
of the inhabitants toward a settlement of some of 
our brethren among them. After you have ascer¬ 
tained to your satisfaction, the kind of treatment 
which the Missionaries are likely to experience at 
Otaheite, you will be more capable of judging how 
to improve the remainder of your voyage, than we 
are at present. To assist you in the direction of 
your farther attempts, we recommend to your at¬ 
tentive perusal the papers which have been commit¬ 
ted to you, containing a description and historical 
account of the islands that are connected with 
Otaheite, or enclosed in the groups called the Friend¬ 
ly Islands, and the Marquesas. You will compare 
them on the grounds of immediate advantage and 
future prospects. To this subject belongs the con¬ 
sideration of the safety of our women, probability of 
introducing our improvements, supply of provisions, 
the products of the islands in sugar, cotton, sandal¬ 
wood, &c. We are thus particular in suggesting 
these observations to you, because you are much 
better qualified than we can expect any of the Mis¬ 
sionaries to be, to decide on the most eligible spots 
for our settlement, and it is a circumstance of so 
much importance as to claim your utmost attention. 
You will doubtless on this subject, hold very frequent 
communications with the Missionaries, and especial¬ 
ly with the Committee, stating to them the grounds 
on which you may prefer one spot to another, as it 


120 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSOJ^. 


would be peculiarly desirable to obtain, if possible, 
a perfect unanimity of the whole body as to the 
place of settlement; and the objections of those w ho 
may happen to think differently from yourself, or 
from the majority of their brethren, should be atten¬ 
tively heard and maturely considered. It is how¬ 
ever, very difficult for so many persons to coincide 
on any subject; and we therefore place the power 
of decision in a majority. As we conclude that you 
possess a superior judgment on this subject to any 
of them, it appears to us to be a regulation highly 
conducive to their good, that no settlement should be 
made without your approbation. For the sake of 
relieving you from some part of the responsibility, 
we lodge in the same Committee, and subject to the 
same rule, the power of deciding whether there shall 
be more missions than one established, and where 
the subsequent ones shall be attempted. 

“To this Committee belongs also, under the same 
restriction, the control over the articles, implements 
and utensils, which make up the cargo of the ship, 
and they with your concurrence are to decide when, 
where, and in what proportions those articles are to 
he landed. In case, however, of several missions 
being attempted, for the sake of strict and impartial 
justice we appoint that tw o of the Committee shall 
be taken from those who remain at the first settle¬ 
ment, and two others from those who are intended to 
be detached to any other, yourself being the presi¬ 
dent, and perfectly disinterested, will have the 
power of administering justice towards both. It 
is, however, intended that a quantity of articles 
suitable for presents to the chiefs of islands which 
you may visit in your way to Canton, should remain 
on board, and you must have the power of deciding 
what articles, and w hat quantity of each shall he 
reserved for that purpose. 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


121 


“To a number of serious Christians who are on 
all occasions seeking divine direction it will no 
doubt occur, that the determination of any question 
respecting attempts to extend the gospel is of such 
transcendent importance, as to require the most 
solemn invocation of Him who heareth prayer, for 
the interposition of his wisdom to guide you in 
judgment. An unanimity or nearly so, of the whole 
body on questions so interesting, and which are to 
be decidecLafter a solemn season of devotion appoint¬ 
ed for that special occasion, would afford consider¬ 
able satisfaction to our minds, as a favorable intima¬ 
tion of the divine superintendence. ^ 

“In negotiating with the chiefs, you will explain 
to them the advantages which will arise to them 
from our residence among them; that it may be the 
happy effect of their earnest desire, and not of our 
solicitation. As an inducement to us to prefer their 
island, they must give us a full title to the land we 
may have occasion for, guarantee to us the safety of 
our property from plunder, the enjoyment of our laws 
and customs, and the undisturbed exercise of our 
religion. Instead of exciting the jealousy of the 
chiefs by any importunity on our parts to continue 
with them, it would be more prudent to shew a read¬ 
iness to leave the island, and fix upon some other, 
that it may be understood by them that our induce¬ 
ments to visit them have not been to receive ad¬ 
vantages, but to confer them. On this principle, as 
well as for other reasons, we recommend that 
the land should not be purchased, but required 
as the condition of our remaining with them; and 
that the presents we make should not be considered 
as payments, but as gratuities—the expressions and 
pledges of our good will. If you should determine 
to make a settlement at several islands, you and the 
Committee will decide what number and which indi¬ 
viduals should reside at each. If this should be the 
10 * 


122 MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 

occasion of disputes which you cannot amicably ter¬ 
minate, we recommend your appealing to the decis¬ 
ion of Divine Providence, by a solemn and religious 
use of the ancient institution of drawing lots. 

“We have now finished the instructions which 
appeared to us needful to communicate with respect 
to the mission. The changes which may have taken 
place in the state of the islands since the last ac¬ 
counts, may make it necessary for you to depart 
from the advice which we have now offered, and re¬ 
sold to expedients more congruous to the circumstan¬ 
ces before you, and better fitted to secure the great 
object. 

“On your arrival at Canton, you will address 
yourself to the Factory of the India Company, and 
in aH respects conform to the conditions of the char¬ 
ter, a copy of which you will take with you. You 
will in particular, observe the necessity of your be¬ 
ing there by the month of December, or at latest, 
in the month of January, 1798, that you may receive 
your cargo onboard and sail for Europe in the early 
part of the spring. Thus we shall cherish the hope 
of your safe return, soon after the succeeding mid¬ 
summer. In the mean time, you w ill doubtless em¬ 
brace whatever opportunities occur of writing to us, 
either from Rio de Janeiro, or by the first ship 
w hich sails from Canton, and let your dispatches be 
addressed to Mr. Joseph Uardcastle, of London. 

“We have now only to commend you to the all- 
sufficient care and protection of Dim w ho holds the 
winds in his fists, and the waters in the hollow of 
Ids hand. The throne of mercy will be addressed 
with unceasing supplications in behalf of your safety, 
and the success of your embassy. You are accompa¬ 
nied by the affectionate esteem of the excellent of 
the earth; and ministering spirits we trust will re¬ 
ceive the welcome charge to convey you in safety to 
the place of your destination. May they be glad 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


125 


spectators of the formation of a Christian temple in 
those heathen lands, and thus be furnished with the 
subject of a new song to Him that sitteth upon the 
throne and to the Lamb! 

“Signed by order of the Directors, 

John Love, Secretary.” 

The convoy being at length ready, and the wind 
steadily fair, the ship, in company with more than 
fifty others, sailed from Portsmouth, on the 23d of 
September, wafted by propitious winds, and under 
the auspices of the effectual fervent prayers of many 
thousands of British Christians. The ship on her 
passage touched at St. Jago, and arrived on the 12th 
of November, in the harbor of Rio de Janeiro, from 
whence the Captain addressed the following letter, 
giving an account of himself and the voyage to his 
friend at Portsea. 


Rio de Janeiro y J\’ov. 15, 1796. 

“My Dear and Rev. Friend, 

“Were you near the Directors, I would refer you 
to their letter for information; but as that is not the 
case, i will give you all 1 can. We sailed from you 
on Friday the 23d of September, and on the follow ing 
Sunday we lay to off Falmouth; and on the 30th a 
fresh wind springing up from the north east, I 
thought it a favorable opportunity of parting with 
the convoy, by which we had been considerably de¬ 
tained. In six days afterwards, we passed the island 
of Madeira, and on the 14th of October, cast anchor 
in Porto Praya Bay, in the Island of St. Jago. 
After getting our water-casks filled, and obtaining 
other refreshments, we sailed the next day, so that 
you will see there was no time lost. At this place, 
and the two following days we experienced the hottest 
weather, and then the thermometer was only 77 de- 
grees^and whcn_ immediately under the sun, which 


124 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


was iii latitude 16° south it was 72—SO. Thus you 
see how exceedingly kind our God has been to us. 
From the time we sailed, till our arrival here, the 
vessel has had little more motion than on the day 
you and our friends came on board in the sloop. On 
the 29th, we crossed the Equator in longitude 30° 
west. Hereabout we had a few squalls. These 
being what the missionaries were not accustomed to, 
the first one alarmed them very much. They were 
at prayers below at eight in the evening, when the 
vessel laying down suddenly, some fell to leeward; 
one in particular got up the fore hatchway, but be¬ 
fore he knew where he w^as, he tumbled head fore¬ 
most down the main without hurting himself. These 
things to old sailors cause a great deal of mirth when 
attended with no injury. 

“We arrived here on Saturday the 12tli instant. 
After waiting on the Governor, I could not go on 
shore again, owing to the ceremony of visiting the 
ship, which was not over till late last night. A fleet 
bound to Lisbon being on the point of sailing, I 
thought it best to stay on board to write to you and 
the Directors, lest I should lose this opportunity. 
I mean, if possible, to sail from this place by Saturday 
next, as I wish to get to the field of action. 1 trust 
the great Head of the church will conduct us safely 
through, and give me wisdom to conduct this inter¬ 
esting undertaking. We must be infidels indeed, 
alter experiencing the past loving kindness of the 
Most High, not to trust him for the future. 

^‘Myself, officers, missionaries, and ship’s compa¬ 
ny, are all in perfect health, blessed be his name, 
who said, ‘When thou goest through the waters, I 
will be with thee;’ this promise, w ith many others, 
we have fully realized. I have bad five of the mis¬ 
sionaries at my table every day, besides giving all 
on board one, and sometimes tw o fresh meals a w eek, 
beside other refreshments suited to the climate. Some 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


125 


of the missionaries tell rne they have not tasted salt 
meat yet. Their conduct has really been very plea£. 
ing. 1 have no doubt biu the Lord will do good by 
tiiem to the poor Indians. I am persuaded should one 
soul be called to the knowledge of the glorious Gos¬ 
pel of our blessed God and Sav ior, it will more than 
recompense me for all the dangers, watching, anxie¬ 
ties, and various privations that 1 have had or may 
have to endure in this long voyage: 1 feel my mind 
prepared to act as circumstances offer; 1 am per¬ 
suaded that God has called me to this work, and that 
he will carry me through it. i know, my dear 
friend, in my own strength I can do nothing right, 
but as the apostle says, <1 can do all things through 
Christ who strengtheneth me.’ 

“The Bible is no cunningly devised fable, though 
I may have my doubts at times of my personal in¬ 
terest in the glorious work of redemption, yet not all 
the men in the world, nor Satan with all his princi¬ 
palities and powers, can, or ever will, 1 trust, be 
able to persuade me that it is not the word of the 
Most High, Nothing in this life could so completely 
have weaned me from the things and maxims of this 
world, as this precious volume has done since l have 
been enabled to believe it to be the word of God. I 
have not had yet a single wish for any of my tem¬ 
poral blessings left behind, and the only fear I have 
had has been that the Lord would not prosper the 
work in my hands. I have been often afraid lest 1 
should not please the Society; but now, though con¬ 
scious of always offending, 1 can go and plead with 
niy great Employer, my own ignorance and insuffi¬ 
ciency, and earnestly intreat for more wisdom and 
strength according to his promises. This, my dear 
friend, is part of my experience since I left you, £ 
trust I have an interest in your prayers and in those 
of the church. Give my Christian love and affec¬ 
tionate regards to them all. My continual prayer 


126 memoirs oe captain wilson. 

to God for them is, that they may live in brotherly 
Jove, and that they may stir up each other to act 
more and more like king’s sons and daughters, and 
not to choke the good seed with over anxious cares 
for the things of this world. This will pain their 
consciences and fret their souls till they are as lean 
as Pharaoh’s cattle. 1 trust, my dear friend, as the 
Lord has placed you over his vineyard, you will be 
careful to destroy those injurious weeds. 1 know 
you cannot do this of yourself, but w hat you have to 
do, is to use the means, to cry aloud and spare not, 
and leave consequences with your Master. 

“1 would have written to my friend Mr. Eastman, 
hut I think as I have written you every particular, 
and am very much engaged, he will excuse it: give 
my Christian love to him and to all his family—Jet 
me hear from you at Canton in China. Give my 
love to all my Christian friends in your neighbor¬ 
hood. The Lord bless you; guide you; prosper and 
preserve you, is the fervent and sincere prayer of 
“Your affectionate brother in Christ, 

“J. Wilson.” 

Nothing further was heard of the Duff, till May 
the 11th, 1798. On Friday morning, the last day of 
tiie fourth general meeting of the Society, when it 
was favored with the use of the elegant and spacious 
church of Spital Fields; “In the time of service a 
note was sent to the church,” say the Directors in 
their Report, “That the Duff was on the list receiv¬ 
ed that instant at Lloyd’s, of ships safely arrived at 
Canton in China, before the end of December.” 
This Dr. Haweis announced from the pulpit as soon 
as the prayers were ended, that the whole congrega¬ 
tion might partake of the joy which began to be 
communicated from individual to individual, and that 
all might unite in praise to God on the occasion; the 
emotions excited by this pleasing and unexpected in- 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


127 


formation can be more easily conceived than ex¬ 
pressed. The next day the following letter was re¬ 
ceived from Captain Wilson from China, which is 
inserted because it gives an epitome of the voyage, 
in the laconic and unvarnished language of the 
Captain. This letter w as circulated as speedily as 
possible among the members of the Society in town 
and country. 


To Joseph Hardcastle, Esq . 

Canton, December 16, 1797. 

“Dear Sir, —I w 7 rote to you last from Rio Ja¬ 
neiro, dated the 15th of November, which I hope you 
received, informing the Society how kind our heaven¬ 
ly Father had been in wafting us so far in perfect 
health and safety ; we can now further say from ex¬ 
perience, that he has never left us from that time to 
this. At present I can only give you the outlines of 
our voyage, which no doubt you will be all glad to 
hear. 

“After receiving a plentiful supply of every thing 
needful, which 1 was able to pay for, having cash of 
my own, we left that port on the 19th. From that 
time to the 3d of December, nothing material hap¬ 
pened, only the weather getting gradually colder. 
Rut the Lord shewed us we were going the wrong 
w ay by sending a severe gale from the south. We 
could now see that to beat round Cape Horn would 
be folly to attempt. After shipping several heavy 
seas, by which we lost some of our live stock, we 
bore up to go by the Cape of Good Hope. This 
was a great trial, being in latitude 30, and longitude 
50 west, and having now T a line to run of 262 de¬ 
grees in longitude, besides latitude. However, we 
had soon reason to rejoice, for by the 24th of Jan¬ 
uary, 1797, we were in longitude 133 east. Had 
we laid to another night, ere we bore aw ay, we must 
have lost all our stock; instead of which, the Mi*- 


128 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


sionaries had fresh meat twice a-week all the way, 
besides dining with me as before related, and though 
we had repeated gales we never had occasion to bat¬ 
ten down our hatches once: add to this the inestima¬ 
ble blessing of the public ordinances of our God, and 
the Missionaries every means of improvement. 
Thus were we carried along in a most pleasing man¬ 
ner. On the 30th of January we rounded New Zea¬ 
land, and on the 4th March made Otaheite; but from 
various winds, we did not anchor in Matavia till the 
6th, where we were received in the most friendly 
manner. 

‘‘Here mark the dealings of Providence: a large 
house which the natives had built for Capt. Bligh, 
was just finished; the whole island in perfect peace 
(Pomarre and his son Otoo being absolute sovereigns 
of this island and of Eimeo,) thus our business was 
expedited; for instead of many chiefs as we expect¬ 
ed, we had only to make our errand known to Po¬ 
marre. This we were fully able to do, our God hav¬ 
ing kept two Europeans for the purpose, the other 
having gone to Europe; one of them whose name is 
Peter, had left the Djedalus, the other named An¬ 
drew, was cast away in the Matilda, and had been 
five years on the island—both could talk the language 
fluently. Our reasons for coming were no sooner 
made known to Pomarre, than he said we should not 
only have the house, which is a hundred feet by forty, 
but that all Matavia should be given to the English, 
which was accordingly done in the most formal man¬ 
ner. 

“After having thus succeeded far beyond our ex¬ 
pectation, it is now necessary that I should acquaint 
you that some time before we made the land, the Mis¬ 
sionaries had divided in the following manner. 
Eighteen for Ofaheite, besides women and children; 
ten for the Friendly Islands, and two for the Mar¬ 
quesas. This being the case, we had no time to 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


129 


spare. As soon, therefore, as I saw them in their 
commodious house, we sailed for Eimeo, with a view 
to get the ship ready, but more particularly to see 
how the natives would behave during the absence of 
the ship. After five days we returned—found them 
all well, the natives having treated them with the ut¬ 
most kindness. Having no time to spare, we made 
all sail to the Friendly Islands. This was on the 
twenty-sixth of March. On the first of April we 
made Palmerston Islands, and on the ninth,Tongata- 
boo. The next day we anchored about the place 
Captain Cook lay, accordingto his bearings. The 
anchor was no sooner gone than the ship was sur¬ 
rounded with canoes. A number of chiefs came on 
board, who informed us that two Europeans were on 
the island, and to our great joy they soon made their 
appearance; but of all the men we ever saw, these 
were certainly the most wicked looking fellows, and 
they soon gave us proof they were as bad as they ap¬ 
peared to be. One of them was an Irishman, named 
John ICennelly, the other Benjamin Ambier, of 
London. They told us a strange story respecting 
their coming to these islands, but this was a matter 
of little consequence to us, firmly believing that the 
Lord had sent them as our interpreters; for though 
we had provided as we thought, sufficient instru¬ 
ments for the purpose, by bringing Peter and two 
Otaheiteans with us, we should have been much at a 
loss, the language differing so much, that they could 
not understand one word in ten: but these two men, 
Ambler and Kennelly, who had been only thirteen 
months on the island, speak the language well. After 
some time our business was partly told them. They 
readily agreed to give all the assistance in their 
power. After giving them and the chiefs presents 
they all went on shore, apparently highly satisfied. 
Very early the next morning we were surrounded 
with a prodigious number of single canoes, besides 
11 


130 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


ten or twelve large double ones. From the peace¬ 
able manner they left us the night before, we had not 
the least suspicion, until the two Europeans came 
and told us they intended to take the ship. This 
you may easily conceive alarmed us very much. 
We got the people to their quarters as privately as 
possible. After gettingthusready we scaled two of our 
guns; on this the large canoes began to sheer off, and 
a number of single ones followed. Whether their 
intention was really to attack us we know not—but 
it w as very alarming to see so many canoes and peo¬ 
ple round the vessel presenting their clubs and 
spears for sale, which might in a moment be turned 
against us. 

“Our fears in a great measure being done aw ay. 
Ambler pointed out four chiefs which he said were 
the only ones we need care for. Tibo Mamoe, (he 
present king, was then at the point of death, and his 
son Tugahowc, the least of the four, would certainly 
succeed his father, which afterwards proved to be 
so, he would therefore recommend the Missionaries 
being placed under his care. After talking with 
them on the subject they readily agreed to go. I 
told them they could not expect to keep their chests, 
and if they were the least afraid I would take them 
back to Otaheite. Their answer was, that property 
was only a secondary object with them, that they 
would go in an humble dependence on that God w ho 
bad brought them safe over the mighty ocean, and 
bad enabled them to leave their country and their 
friends. After a most solemn season in prayer, six 
of them went with the chief and Ambler, but not be¬ 
fore they promised they should want for nothing. 
The other chiefs wanted each to have one, but we 
thought it best for the present they should all be to¬ 
gether, promising them that when the ship returned, 
if they then chose to separate, each should have some 
of them—this satisfied them all. Having received 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


1S1 


various presents they all went on shore before dark, 
and all the canoes left us. The next morning we 
weighed and ran further out, that we might have 
plenty of room in case of an attack. About noon, 
two of the Missionaries returned with the pleasing 
intelligence that the natives did not attempt to steal, 
but treated them with the greatest respect. We 
then loaded the canoes with the remainder of their 
things, and with such stores as they thought they 
should want. 

“We now got under weigh to endeavor to find a 
channel to the westward of the spot where Captain 
Cook got a-ground. After some time a very good 
one was found, which we sailed through. This we 
conceived to be a valuable acquisition, as we should 
now, in case of being attacked, be able to sail out of 
the harbor either to the east or west. Being now 
without the reefs, we intended to spend two or three 
days to see how the natives would behave to our 
people; but the Lord saw fit to send us a smart gale 
from the north-west, so that at day light we found 
ourselves in a critical situation, not being able to 
weather the reefs on either tack; but to our comfort 
we just fetched the channel which we had discover¬ 
ed only the day before, and thus we narrowly escap¬ 
ed shipwreck. Before we cleared the harbor, we 
were nearly cast away a second time. What 
cause have we to praise our God for thus preserving 
us in such imminent danger. Having now cleared 
the harbor, April the 16th, we made the best of our 
way towards the Marquesas, with the only two 
Missionaries on board, Messrs. Harris and Crook. 
The fair wind lasted six days, and was succeeded by 
hard gales from the eastward, so that on the 6th day 
of May, we were only in £06 degrees of longitude 
and 39 degrees of south latitude. 

“On the £Sd of May we discovered tw r o islands, on 
which we endeavored to land, but the natives from 


132 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


their hostile disposition prevented us. We named 
one the Crescent, from its shape, the other after Sir 
Charles Middleton; they Jay in latitude 23° 12' south, 
and in longitude 226° 15'east. The next day we 
discovered another which we named after Admiral 
Gambier, latitude 21° 36', longitude 225° 40' east, 
and on May the 29th, discovered another, which we 
called after our friend Mr. Searle; latitude 18° 18' 
south, longitude 224° 12'east. On the 4th of June 
made the island Christiana, and the next day an¬ 
chored in Resolution Ray, after a long disagreeable 
passage of fifty days. Our rigging being now in a 
bad state, it was necessary to get it on deck. I 
shall only remark, that on getting the fore shrouds 
down we found two of them gone, so that had we 
been on the starboard tack instead of the larboard, 
during the gales we had in this passage, we must 
have been dismasted. O what cause of gratitude 
for all His kindness to us! We no sooner arrived 
than we were visited by many of the natives, and 
amongst them the chief, whom, after a few visits, 
we gave to understand that the two Missionaries 
were to stay with him. On hearing this he could not 
contain himself, but jumped about the cabin for joy. 
fie said they should have a house, and that they 
should never want while he had to give. The young 
lad Crook, went immediately with the chief, but 
Harris staid on board to get the things ready as lie 
said; however, I am sorry to say in this place, that 
though he was the first that proposed coming to 
these islands, and was the cause of tw~o others not 
coming, he seemed now to have lost his missionary 
spirit, which was visible to every one. After a 
little time he went on shore, but with such a gloomy 
countenance, that the natives soon took a dislike to 
him. The youth on the contrary was cheerful and 
obliging, so that the whole village was remarkably 
fond of him. In consequence of this I was under 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


135 


the necessity of carrying; Harris back to Otaheite. 
1 would have brought Crook away likewise, but he 
begged to be left, which was agreed to, and 1 have 
no doubt but he will prove a blessing to those poor 
good-natured heathens. 

“Having now refitted our rigging, supplied Crook 
with every thing needful, we took an affectionate 
leave of each other, and sailed for Otaheite on the 
27th of June. In our way we took a view of Treve- 
nen’s and Sir Henry Martin’s Islands, and arrived 
in Matavia the 6th of July, when I found them all 
well. I began dividing their property, which I 
found a very disagreeable task, this took up all the 
time I was here, but I got through it apparently 
much to their satisfaction. 

“Having now completed our business, we took 
leave of our dear friends and the kind natives, the 
4th of August, and touched at Huahine, w hich was 
'in a dreadful state, owing to their wars. From this 
we made Palmerston Island, and planted bread-fruit, 
plantains, and Ava trees; and on the 18th of August, 
anchored off Tongataboo, nearly in our old birth. 
We were soon visited by our dear people, who in¬ 
formed us they were all well, except one, and how r 
the Lord had preserved them from the machinations 
of their countrymen, who had done all in their pow'er 
to make the poor heathen destroy them; and that 
some of them had separated, (under different chiefs,) 
with a view to counteract their villainous plots. 
During my stay, Messrs. Buchanan and Gallon 
went to live with another chief, which I trust will be 
the means not only of gaining their affections, but 
will likewise facilitate the knowledge of the lan¬ 
guage, which is of the greatest importance. After 
doing every thing in our power with the chiefs, and 
dividing the articles, we parted with many tears on 
both sides. I brought away Mr. Nobbs, by their 
advice, as be had not bis health from the time lie 
*11 


134 


MEMOIRS OE CAPTAIN WILSON. 


landed. Our intention was now to touch at the 
Fegee Islands, and if possible to have some inter¬ 
course with tiic natives. 

“On the 7th of September, we left Tongataboo, 
and on the 9th, in the evening, made the Fegces; but 
after six days toil, trying to find anchorage, \vc 
were under the necessity of quitting them without 
finding any, or having any intercourse with the 
natives; yet not before we struck on a coral rock, 
hut got off without receiving any damage. 1 believe 
no islands in the world are so hemmed in by danger¬ 
ous reefs. We got into the middle of them, and we 
have reason to be thankful we got out in the manner 
we did. In steering to the westward, we made the 
Island of Ruttuma, and had a little intercourse w ith 
the natives, who seem to be of the same race with 
the Friendly Islanders; they talk the same language, 
and their canoes are of the same construction. 
From thence we intended making the best of our 
way to the Pelews, hut from variable winds and 
calms we did not reach them till the 7th of November, 
and then from thestorniy appearance of the weather, 
we did not think it prudent to stay; after a little in¬ 
tercourse with the natives, therefore, we proceeded 
on our way to this port, with a view to send you in¬ 
telligence, if possible, by the first shin. We found 
on our arrival at Macao, which was the 21st of 
November, that we could not proceed to Wampoo, 
w ithout an authority from the Hoppo, because we 
had no cargo. Finding a ship had been detained a 
month, I went to Canton, by w hich means we got 
permission the fourteenth day we anchored at Wam¬ 
poo. There are three of the last ships ready for sea, 
but I prefer sending you this by a Danish ship— 
there are four direct ships arrived. My Nephew 
Received a few lines from you and Mr. Fenn, but 
I have not yet received any; three of the packets are 


Ills MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


135 


not yet up, and I could not think of losing this op¬ 
portunity. 

“This brief relation, 1 hope will be satisfactory 
to all our dear friends, but you must make great 
allowance for the writer. Shall conclude with only 
observing, that as our work has been great, having 
been eleven months out of fourteen at sea, the wear 
of the sails, &c. has been in proportion. We never 
split a sail, nor carried away a mast. The seamen 
and officers are in the ship, all well, except one sea¬ 
man, who ran from the ship. 1 can give you no idea 
when we shall leave this place. To me it is the 
worst part of my voyage, having to associate with 
the professed enemies of my Lord, and frequently I 
am the butt of the whole company. 

“May the Lord increase your zeal, and present 
you with such instruments as he will own and bless. 
This is, and ever will be the sincere prayer, of, 
“Dear Sir, your affectionate servant, 

U J. Wilson.” 

Before the Captain left the islands, he received 
general and many individual testimonies of the 
affection and gratitude of the missionaries. Those 
at Tongataboo, being the last island he visited, wrote 
to him on his leaving the South Seas, the following 
kind and grateful letter— 


“ Tongataboo , Sept. 5, 1797. 

“Dear Sir, 

“As the period is just at hand w hen we are to bid 
a long farewell to each other, perhaps never more 
to meet on this side eternity, we should consider 
ourselves as inexcusable if we did not address a few 
lines to you, expressive of the grateful sense we en¬ 
tertain of the many and kind offices you have ren¬ 
dered us. We recollect with pleasure, the time 
when w e first beard of your intention to forego eve- 


136 


MEMOIRS OE CAPTAIN WILSON, 


ry tiling that might render your native country dear 
to you, in order to conduct us to the place of our 
destination, and with pleasure we acknowledge that 
we have often, when addressing the throne of grace, 
found ourselves delightfully and powerfully con¬ 
strained to adore and bless our heavenly Father on 
your account, whom we have considered, and do still 
consider a truly valuable gift of Providence to the 
Missionary Society. 

“The many instances in which we have found 
you a faithful and friendly adviser; your kind en¬ 
deavors to render our long voyage as agreeable as 
possible, and the attention you have paid to our in¬ 
terests, before and since your return to this place, 
call upon us to express to you our most lively grat¬ 
itude. May the Lord return into your own bosom 
an hundred-fold for every expression of your kind¬ 
ness towards us. Dear Sir, we trust you will not 
look upon this as fulsome adulation; no, far be it 
from us to commit such a crime; believe us, these 
are the real sentiments of our minds, and could you 
look into our hearts, you w ould see more than we 
can express. 

“The most important part of your voyage is now 
finished, and you are about to return to your native 
Sand. May that God who has been with you, and 
delivered you out of so many dangers, still be with 
you; may you experience his supporting, comforting, 
and reviving presence continually; and may he en¬ 
able you to rejoice in the comfortable assurance that 
your name is w ritten in heaven. In return for your 
kindness and prayers for us, we will not be unmind¬ 
ful of you in our addresses to the Father of mercies. 
Our social meetings, our private retirements, shall 
witness the sincerity of our desires for your welfare, 
both temporal and spiritual, and we can not but ac¬ 
knowledge the pleasure we feel from the consideration 
that we have not a wish for your welfare, but you can 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


137 


return with equal warmth of affection. May the 
Lord bless you to the end of a useful life, and cause 
you to experience an increasing uieetness for his 
heavenly kingdom, till the blissful moment arrive 
when every earthly object shall disappear, and the 
sinning glories of the future world shall open to 
your enlightened and enlarged soul in such a man¬ 
ner, as would in this frail state, quite overwhelm it. 

“Adieu, dear Sir, till we meet in those happy 
mansions where we shall no more say farewell—till 
then, believe us to be your sincere well-wishers, and 
thankful and obliged servants in the gospel of Christ. 

“D. Bow ell, Secretary ” 

u To Captain Wilson, on board the Ship Duff.” 

Though the Captain met with considerable ridi¬ 
cule in China on account of his religious enthusiasm, 
yet his business was facilitated beyond precedent. 
He expected to be detained there at least three 
months,* but Mr. Hall, the head supercargo, inform¬ 
ed the Captain, that as the ship was reported to be in 
excellent order, and fit to receive a cargo, if he could 
be ready in five or six days to receive his lading, he 
would dispatch him. By the kindness of the other 
supercargo also, the difficulties usually thrown in 
the way by the Chinese were easily surmounted. 
The ship w as dispatched in a shorter time than had 
ever been known before; for though these gentlemen 
smiled at the Captain’s religious zeal, they could not 
but admire his benevolent philanthropy, and there¬ 
fore readily expedited his business. The ship was 
ready just in time to sail with the first ships that 
were leaving China. The singularity of the man¬ 
ners of the officers and ship’s company while at 
Canton, excited attention. All immorality being ut¬ 
terly discountenance4^-not an oath sworn, and an 
unusual devotion maintained, induced those in the 
ships whose company they had joined, to give the 


1S8 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


Duff a new name: they called her ‘The Ten Com¬ 
mandments .’ 

The ship left China, the 3d of December, 1797, 
and arrived after a safe and pleasant passage, at the 
Cape of Good Hope, on the 17th of March, 1798. 
Here the ships of war impressed some sailors from 
the other ships, but none from the Duff. They sail¬ 
ed from the Cape on the 1st of April; touched at St. 
Helena on the 15th; on the 24th of Jane put into 
Cork for convoy, and under the protection of the 
Ethalion, Captain Countess, the Duff arrived safe 
and all well in the River Thames on the 11th of 
July. In a few days the cargo of teas was discharg¬ 
ed in as perfect a state as when received at China. 

‘Thus,’ says the Captain to his minister in a let¬ 
ter off Dover, <lias our God wafted us from place to 
place in a most wonderful manner, having sailed 
nearly fifty thousand miles since we left you, in little 
more than one year and nine months. I may say 
w ith Naomi,‘I went out full, but the Lord has brought 
me home airain empty.’ Yet not without being able 
to say, 1 think with sincerity,‘The prosperity of Zion 
lies near my heart.’ Experience had taught the 
Captain his deficiencies, and the necessity of an ha¬ 
bitual dependance on divine grace. 

The return of the Duff, and the brief but interest¬ 
ing account of the voyage published by the Direc¬ 
tors, excited an unusual degree of attention, and of 
gratitude to God among the friends of the Mission¬ 
ary Society; while the admiration of the conduct of 
the Captain was the subject of almost universal con¬ 
versation. The fervor of pleasurable feeling glow¬ 
ed in every bosom, and darted from individual to 
individual like an electric shock. 

The Directors in their special report on this oc¬ 
casion observe, “The safe return of the Duff, the 
health which prevailed on board during the whole 


UIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE, 


139 


voyage, the welcome reception ano safe settlement 
of the Missionaries at the places of their destination, 
and the remarkable interpositions of Divine Provi¬ 
dence from beginning to end of this remarkable en¬ 
terprise, were such evident answers to the numerous 
prayers which had been offered up to God on behalf 
of the mission, as loudly demanded the most public 
acknowledgment of gratitude and praise.” 

“The Directors, therefore, of the Missionary 
Society, having acquainted the friends of the In¬ 
stitution, as soon as they possibly could, with the 
leading circumstances of the voyage, requested that 
a day of public thanksgiving might be observed on 
the 6th of August, being the first Monday in the 
month, when the prayer-meetings of the Society are 
usually held throughout the kingdom, that all whose 
hearts have been interested in the work might have 
an opportunity of uniting at the same time, in the 
same pleasing and reasonable service; they appoint¬ 
ed Mr. Griffin of Portsea, to whose church Captain 
Wilson belonged, to preach on the occasion at Surry 
Chapel in the morning, and Dr. Haweis, as being 
one of the oldest ministers in the Direction, and who 
first proposed the Mission to the Pacific Ocean, to 
preach at Zion Chapel in the evening. These ex¬ 
tensive places were soon filled with serious and re¬ 
spectable auditories—The whole services were con¬ 
ducted with the utmost solemnity, the presence of 
God was happily experienced by preachers and 
hearers; and never perhaps was gratitude more 
warmly expressed on any public occasion.” 

Dr. Haweis in his thanksgiving sermon, express¬ 
ed his admiration in glowing eloquence. “In this 
voyage,” he observes, “to tell of all His wonders, my 
time would fail, and my ability be unequal; I will 
just refresh your memory with the following hints of 
some of the great things done for us, in the swift- 


140 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


ness, the safety, the health, and success of the 
voyage. 

“The swiftness of the passage. This will be the 
admiration of every nautical man by profession. 
Whoever heard, in the most prosperous voyage of 
the ablest navigators, 183 degrees of longitude pass¬ 
ed in the short space of fifty-one days? Moving often 
at the rate of two hundred and twenty or thirty 
miles a-day, and so steadily before the wind as 
seldom ever to interrupt the daily exercises of 
prayer and praise, of study, or repose. 

“Shall we not with thankfulness admire the safety 
of the conveyance! Not a mast sprung, not a yard 
lost, not a sail split, not an anchor left behind! To 
traverse more than twice the circumference of the 
globe—especially amidst lurking shoals, the hidden 
rocks, and low islands of the Southern Ocean, must, 
it is well known, be full of danger. They felt it, and 
sometimes were at their wit’s end—going up to 
heaven and sinking down into the deep—shook by 
the pealing thunder—embayed without a passage, 
and once suspended on the dreadful reef. I read 
and trembled. But he that dwelleth under the de¬ 
fence of the Most High shall be safe under the shad¬ 
ow of the Almighty. I was ashamed, humbled, 
comforted, exulted, when in the midst of the most 
awful scenes I hear one of my brethren, “We took 
the wings of faith and fled in prayer to the God of 
our mercies, and when we had sung an hymn, pres¬ 
ently the storm abated, and we lay down comforta¬ 
bly and fell asleep.” Ah! <So he givetli his beloved 
sleeps 

“Shall w'e not gratefully notice their health. What 
a miracle of mercy hath our vessel been! Of about 
sixty persons, during nearly a tw o year’s voyage, not 
one has been lost: not only a hair of their head 
hath not perished, but those who have returned arc 
“fat and well-liking;” and almost every man and 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


141 


woman are reported in better health than when they 
left the shores of their nativity. What disease, 
misery, and famine, have we not often heard of in 
voyages of far less extent and duration? The great 
Physician had determined that the inhabitants of his 
ark should not complain “l am sick.” Few vessels 
have ever been so long without touching for refresh¬ 
ments, or performed so vast a run, as 13,800 miles 
without the sight of land; but except the common 
well known effects of the sea, or the indisposition of 
one individual, not a scorbutic complaint appeared, 
no spreading fever, no infectious disorder, no dan¬ 
gerous accident, or broken hone. Passing through 
climates so different—tender women and children, 
many who had never seen the sea till they embarked 
upon it, unaccustomed to such food or accommoda¬ 
tion, they reached Otaheite, after a five months 
voyage, without an individual sick. All the way 
they had plenty of provisions, their water sweet, 
abundant, and never failing; and not a creature 
wanting any manner of thing that was good. Whilst 
we record the mighty acts of the Lord, let future 
voyagers learn from Captain Wilson, vvliat care, 
cleanliness, proper food, and unremitted attention 
can, under the divine benediction, do for the health 
of those “who occupy their business in great waters.” 

An account of the voyage was published by order 
of the Directors, for the benefit of the Society, 
written principally by Mr. William Wilson the 
chief officer, with a number of beautiful views and 
instructive maps and charts. Prefixed, is a scien¬ 
tific discourse on the geography and history of the 
South Sea Islands, where the Missionaries have 
settled. Appended to the voyage, is a detailed ac¬ 
count of the natural and civil state of Otaheite, never 
before published. The whole composed from the 
papers of Mr. Wilson, the Captain, and the Mission- 
12 


142 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


aries, under the superintendence of a Committee of 
Directors appointed for the purpose. 

This handsome volume was dedicated to the King, 
and presented to his Majesty by the Rev. Dr. 
Daweis, Hector of Aldwinkle: the Rev. David 
Rogue, tutor of the Missionary Academy; and Mr. 
Chapman, the bookseller in Fleet Street, gave to the 
Society two thousand pounds for the copyright of 
this volume, of which twelve thousand six hundred 
copies were printed of th e jirst edition. The Direc¬ 
tors received from the East India Company for 
the freight of teas from China, four thousand one 
hundred pounds; so that, though the voyage was a 
considerable expense to the Society, these items, 
together with the value of the ship after her return, 
reduced it to a very moderate sum indeed; for after 
making a large allowance for the value of the 
presents sent by the friends of the Society for the 
Missionaries and the natives, not entered in the ac¬ 
count current, the whole expence of bringing the 
Missionaries from their various places of residence, 
fitting them out, furnishing them with books and 
various utensils, conveying them to the utmost ex¬ 
tent of the globe, and affording them ample stores in 
the islands, did not amount to the sum of one hundred 
and forty pounds for each individual Missionary 
and his wife. This statement is due to the memory 
of the Captain, as a proof that, as the Directors had 
resolved to send Missionaries to the South Seas, his 
services were a real benefit to the Society. 

As a token of the Society’s gratitude to the Cap¬ 
tain, and as a lasting memorial of it in his family,an 
elegant representation of the public interview, of the 
king and queen of Otaheite, and other principal 
persons, with the Captain and the Missionaries, 
was painted by Smirk, and presented to him by the 
Directors. 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


145 


His friend Dr. Haweis, who had from the first, 
felt deeply interested in the South Sea mission, and 
had given five hundred pounds to the Society, spe¬ 
cifically in aid of that mission, presented the Captain 
with a diamond ring, of considerable value, accom¬ 
panied with the following note— 

“MY DEAR CAPTAIN, 

" Anxious for your arrival, I had prepared the fol¬ 
lowing little token. 1 wish to couple my name 
with yours. The circle is the emblem of the eternity 
1 hope to spend with you. The brilliant is not 
brighter than my affection, nor the gold purer than 
my friendship. Wear me on your heart, whilst 
mine heats it will remember you, and bless God for 
you. 

“Yours, ever, 

T. Haweis.” 

“Lady Ann Erskine desires particular respects 
and congratulations.” 

To have expected immediate, rapid, ami extensive 
success in the work of evangelizing the inhabitants 
of the South Sea Islands, would have been the ex¬ 
treme of unreasonable enthusiasm, A people whose 
language had never been arranged into a system, 
nor ever reduced to writing—whose governments 
were mutable as the human passions—subject often 
fo the whim or caprice of the next most athletic and 
daring chief—whose religion was supported by the 
most inhuman and cruel rites,* and whose manners 
w T ere but a few degrees above the state of the brutes, 
and in many tilings below them, for they protect and 
nourish their young, but the South Sea Islanders 
often destroy their infants to save themselves the 
trouble of nursing them—they sacrifice their de¬ 
fenceless neighbors to appease their gods—and eat 


144 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


the flesh of their enemies to save their hogs—such a 
people were not easily or speedily to be civilized and 
brought under the influence of the rational, orderly, 
and ennobling virtues of Christianity. These are 
not reasons why the attempt to evangelize them 
should not have been made, nor why it should not be 
zealously and perscveringly continued, but the re¬ 
verse; they are reasons, however, w hy we should 
not he too sanguine in our expectation of success, 
nor discouraged by partial disappointments. 

Though the obstacles to success were very great 
and numerous, and the Mission wafc under a dark 
cloud for some years, yet it is pleasing to observe 
that the cloud is now dispersed, and an auspicious 
sun begins to beam upon those benighted heathens. 
The Missionaries have not only introduced several 
of the useful arts and habits of civilization, but they 
have reduced the language to a standard by forming 
a grammar, and a pretty extensive vocabulary of 
words and phrases. They have translated into the 
language an account of the life of Christ and his 
apostles in the words of the New Testament, and 
also a catechism; these have been printed either in 
New South Wales, or in London. They have also 
translated the Gospel of the Evangelist Luke, which 
is now ready for the press. They have established 
schools which are regularly attended; the king and 
others have learnt the arts of reading and writing, 
but what is most highly interesting, the king has re¬ 
ceived the truths of Christianity and professes to 
love them. He has written several letters to the 
Missionaries describing his views of himself as a 
sinner, his desires of salvation through Jesus Christ, 
and his earnest concern to live a life of holiness. 
The originals of these letters in the hand-writing of 
King Pomarre are in the possession of the Directors 
in London. They are inserted here in the transla¬ 
tion given of them by the Missionaries, as a speoi- 


jETiS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


145 


soon of the literature and religion of the King of 
IKaheite. The Missionaries who had been under 
the necessity of flying from Gtaheite to Port Jack- 
son in consequence of the civil wars, returned to 
Eimco, an island adjacent to Qtaheite, and accom¬ 
panied these letters with the following to the Direc¬ 
tors: 


**Island of Eimeo, Oct. 21, 1812. 

“FIon. Fathers & Brethren, 

“We your undersigned Missionaries after a griev¬ 
ous dispersion and absence from these islands, and 
the variety of gloomy occurrences relative to the 
mission which beclouded our prospects and grieved 
our hearts, being by the good hand of our God upon 
us mercifully preserved in the perils, hazards, and 
changing scenes through which we have been led 
since our leaving these islands, and now brought 
back to them in safety, and permitted again to com¬ 
bine our efforts for the accomplishment of the grand 
object of the mission, and having, (glory be to God,) 
our prospects in some measure brightened, our hopes 
exalted, and our hearts encouraged by an event, 
which you will no doubt with us deem of great im¬ 
portance in itself, and portending a happy result of 
our Missionary labors; we take the earliest oppor¬ 
tunity of making this known to you, and of giving 
you a statement of our circumstances and the state 
of the mission. The event to which we allude is the 
conversion of King Pomarre to Christianity—a cir¬ 
cumstance which no doubt will cause your hearts, 
and the hearts of all true friends of Christ who may 
bear of it to rejoice? 

“On the 18th of July, be came to us and offered 
himself a candidate for Christian baptism, declaring 
it his fixed purpose and determination to cleave to 
Jeh *vah the true God, and to his people, expressing 
his desire and willingness to receive further instruc- 

.ia* 


146 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSoff. 


tion in the things of God, and requesting us to pray 
for him. lie gave us to understand that this reso¬ 
lution wa9 the J esuit of long and increasing conv iction 
of the truth and excellency of our religion. Much 
interesting conversation took place on this occasion, 
too tedious here to relate at large; however, we must 
mention some of it. He said he had been endeav¬ 
oring to persuade his father-in-law Tamatoa, and 
Tapoa, the two principal chiefs of the leeward 
islands, to take the same step he was taking, but 
that they told him he might do as he pleased; as for 
them they would cleave to Ora, which, lie observed, 
was cleaving to Satan; and said, that if no one else 
would hear us, or embiace our religion, he would, 
as he desired to be happy after death and be saved 
in the judgment day. On our observing that we did 
not cease to pray to God for him, and that it would 
rejoice us much to see him sincerely and truly given 
up in heart to God, and that, if that was the case he 
might then he bapt ized; he replied, that we could not 
know his heart, nor he our’s; but that He who made 
us men, knew' our hearts and whether we spoke truth 
or falsehood to each other. Indeed, he introduced 
the subject at first by saying, ‘You do not know the 
thoughts of my heart, but God docs.’ We informed 
him, that it was customary for those who offered 
themselves as candidates for baptism among the 
Heathen, to he for some time further instructed in 
the things of God, and their conduct inspected, that 
it might he known w hether they had truly forsaken 
every evil way, and were really turned in heart to 
God before they were baptized, all w hich he seemed 
to approve of, observing that he w as willing to do as 
we thought proper; and that he left the affair of his 
baptism entirely w itfi us as to the time. Another thing 
he proposed during this conversation must not be 
omitted, namely, the erection of a building for the 
worship of God; and on being told that perhaps it 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE 


147 


would be better to deter the building till his and our 
affairs should be more settled, he replied, ‘Let us not 
mind these, let it be built at all events.’ However, 
his removal to Taheite prevents this for the present. 
Indeed, it is a circumstance w e much regret, as it de¬ 
prives him of the means of grace and instruction 
except by letter, and exposes him to many and great 
temptations. However, thanks he to God, we learn 
from his letters and verbal accounts of him, that he 
strictly observes the Christian Sabbath, and perse¬ 
veres in an open profession of his new religion be¬ 
fore the chiefs and people; and for which we under¬ 
stand he has already experienced a considerable de¬ 
gree of persecution notwithstanding his dignity. 

‘‘That you inay form a judgment for yourselves of 
the present state of his mind, we send you with this, 
two of his late letters, with a translation of them. 

“We remain, honored fathers and brethren, your 
brethren and humble servants in the gospel for 
Christ’s sake. 

“W. Henry. H. Bicknejx. C. Wixson* 

“J. Davies. W. Scott. H. Mott. 

“J. Hayward.” 


H Papeiie , Taheite, Friday, Sept. 25 , 1812 . 

“Dear Friends, 

♦‘May Jehovah and Jesus Christ, may the Three- 
One, our only trust and Savior, bless you! May the 
anger of Jehovah towards me be appeased, who am 
a wicked man, guilty of accumulated crimes—of re¬ 
gardlessness ami ignorance of the true God, and of 
an obstinate perseverance in wickedness! May Je¬ 
hovah give me his good Spirit to sanctify my heart, 
that 1 may love what is good, and that 1 may be en¬ 
abled to put away all my evil customs and become 
one of his people, and be saved through Jesus Christ 


148 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


our only Savior; you indeed will be saved, you are 
become the people of God, but 1 may be banished to 
hell; God may not regard me: 1 am a wicked man, 
and my sins are great and accumulated (or collected) 
together. 13ut O that we may all be saved through 
Jesus Christ. May the anger of God towards us all 
be appeased; for all of us have been disobedient to 
him as our Lord and Master. Look at the beasts, 
they are all obedient to man as their Lord and mas¬ 
ter, but we have not obeyed our Lord and Master. 
Surely vve are fools! May the Three-One save us!’* 
“To the Missionaries at Moorea , Eimeo” 


“My Dear Friends, 

“War will perhaps soon commence in the district 
of Papara. We are listening to the reports to find 
out whether they are true or not. Should war not 
take place, it will be through fear of us. Enomatua 
is at the head of one party, and Arutapoea and his 
brother Tate at the head of the other. Should Eno¬ 
matua be banished from Papara, all Taheite will be 
involved in war. in this case 1 shall take Enoma- 
tua’s part; and the Poreoniice, which includes all the 
districts from Isthmus to Tepaeriei, will join me. 
Papara, and part of Atahuru, are for banishing Eno¬ 
matua; but Tacarabei and Faa, and part of Atahuru 
wish to be neuter. We are aware that this war is 
on our account, and designed to involve us. Perhaps 
you do not know Enomatua, nor Arutapoea the bro¬ 
ther of Tate, who came from Reiatea with Tapoa 
and party. 

“Tapoa is at the point of death; he can eat nothing 
and knows nobody. 

“I am ill myself, and have no appetite for food. 
I was taken ill about three o’clock on Monday morn¬ 
ing last. My affliction is great; but if 1 can only 


HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE* 


149 


obtain God’s favor before I die, I shall count myself 
well off. But, 0! should 1 die with my sins unpar¬ 
doned, it will be ill indeed with me. 0 may my 
sins be pardoned, and my soul saved through Jesus 
Christ! And may Jehovah regard me before 1 die, 
and then l shall rejoice, because I have obtained the 
favor of Jehovah. 

“May Jehovah and Jesus Christ bless us all. 

“i'OMAItRE.” 


“ Papeite, Taheite , Oft. 8 , 1812 . 

“My Dear Friends, 

“May Jehovah and Jesus Christ our Savior bless 
you. If it had not been for the mercy of God to¬ 
wards us, we should all have been cut off long ago. 
Had it pleased God to have given us up to the will 
of Satan, he would long ago have destroyed us all. 
To the Three-One we owe our preservation and sal¬ 
vation. O Jehovah, save us! O Jesus Christ save 
us. 

“Nothing bad (referring to the war,J is talked of 
at Taheite at present; if it were otherwise, 1 would 
not remain here: there is one thing that fills me 
with horror, which I will inform yon of by and by. 
Satan perhaps is the author of it; he is envious of me. 
May Jesus Christ save me. 

“The affairs of Taheite are pretty well settled, the 
chiefs having sent professions of subjections; but 
bow long this will continue is uncertain. However, 
at present all is well. 

“I continue to pray to God without ceasing. Re¬ 
gardless of other things, I am concerned only that 
my soul may be saved by Jesus Christ! It. is my 
earnest desire that I may become one of Jehovah’s 
people, and that God may turn away his anger from 
me, which I deserve for my wickedness—my igno¬ 
rance of him, and my accumulated crimes! 


150 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


“If God were pleased to create all mankind anew, 
then they would be good. This is my desire, that 
God would enable me from my heart to love that 
which is good, and to abhor that which is evil; and 
that 1 may be saved by Jesus Christ. My dear 
friends, write to me that I may know your minds. 
Inform me also of the news from Port Jackson, and 
whether king George is alive or dead. 

“May Jehovah and Jesus Christ our Savior bless 
you! 

“PoMARRE.” 

tl To the Missionaries at Morea, Eimeo V 


The king wrote again to the missionaries in the 
same strain in February, 1814 ; and in September 
of the same year the missionaries inform the Direc¬ 
tors, that the mission was increasingly successful, 
both at Eimeo, and at Otaheite, as called in Cooke’s 
and other voyages, but Tahcite as called by the na¬ 
tives; the letter O being dropped as only having 
something of the force of an article. The example 
of the king in publicly renouncing the idol gods and 
false religion of his country, and declaring his full 
conviction of the truth, superiority, and excellency 
of our religion, has had a powerful influence upon 
the minds of many. Several have been removed 
by death, leaving very satisfactory evidences of 
their having been truly converted to God by the gos¬ 
pel through the influence of the Holy Spirit. A 
meeting for prayer has been formed at Taheite, 
without the interference or knowledge of the mis¬ 
sionaries at the time. At Eimeo, a Society is formed 
of more than forty natives, who have renounced their 
idol-worship and wicked customs, and who nrofessto 
worship the one living and true God, and to be de¬ 
sirous to be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. 



HIS MISSIONARY VOYAGE. 


151 


The Rev. Mr. Marsden, the principal chaplain to 
the colony of New South Wales, and a magistrate, 
writes to the Directors, dated May 17th, 1814, as 
follows: “l have sent you several letters from the 
missionaries at Otaheite. i am exceedingly happy 
to hear that the good work is begun among the na¬ 
tives, and that many have renounced their idols, and 
have turned unto the living and true God. The pri¬ 
vate letters from the brethren are very gratifying to 
my feelings. The Lord will establish his kingdom 
in their islands: the way is gradually opening. 
You have some of the best of men in my opinion, as 
missionaries, whose hearts are wholly engaged in 
the great work. 

From these interesting facts, it appears that the 
labors and sacrifices of the Captain, the Society, and 
the missionaries, have not been in vain. The morn¬ 
ing now begins to brighten on these long benighted 
lands. The desert at last buds, and will soon blos¬ 
som as the rose. Some of the redeemed spirits from 
those distant isles of the sea have entered into bliss 
as the first fruits of the Spirit, and certain presages 
of the goodly number who shall one day surround 
the throne with joyful acclamations and unceasing 
strains of gratitude to God for the blessings de¬ 
rived from the exertions of the Missionary Society. 
Already have the blessed spirit of the Captain, and 
the glorified spirits from the islands mingled their 
joyful hallelujahs to God and the Lamb, and sung 
in elevated tones, “unto him that loved us, and 
washed us from our sins in his ow n blood, and hath 
made us kings and priests to God and his Father; 
to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, 
Amen. 

I shall finish this part in the language of the wri¬ 
ters of the missionary voyage. 

“We cannot but flatter ourselves, that the public, 
ota an impartial survey of wdiat has been done, will 


152 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WIESON. 


consider the Missionary Society as among the real 
benefactors to mankind, and support an undertaking 
which God has hitherto singularly blessed, and which 
proposes, as its first object, the divine glory, and 
the salvation, temporal and eternal of those whom 
hitherto no man has cared for. Names, sects, and 
parties have no place among us—we mean nothing po¬ 
litical, partial, or exclusive. One is our Master, 
even Christ. We desire to know and teach nothing 
but him crucified; to interfere in no contest, to dis¬ 
turb no government established, or to introduce any 
peculiar modes of worship, but to leave every man to 
the book of truth for his guide, in a Spirit of meek¬ 
ness; to unite in one centre, Jesus Christ, the same 
yesterday, to day, and for ever; and to love one 
another out of a pure heart fervently. Time and bet¬ 
ter information, it is hoped, will dissipate every prej¬ 
udice entertained against so benevolent an under¬ 
taking. 

[For particulars as to the present state of the mis¬ 
sion to the South Sea Islands, the reader is referred 
to the Appendix.] 


HIS SETTLING IN LONDON. 


155 


PART IV. 


From the settling of the Captain in London , after 
the missionary voyage, to the time of his death . 

There is a special sphere of action, suited to the 
talents, dispositions, and habits of individuals, in 
which their excellencies concentrate, and shine in a 
pre-eminent degree, but out of which they often ap¬ 
pear inferior to men of ordinary capacities. Captain 
Wilson was so deeply sensible of the truth of this 
position, and so naturally diffident of his own opin¬ 
ion on subjects not within the range of his immedi¬ 
ate profession, that he sought and sighed for retire¬ 
ment even from the business and bustle of the Mis¬ 
sionary Society. Accustomed to the manners of an 
East Indian merchant, and Captain, he felt himself 
incompetent to take any useful share in those popu¬ 
lar meetings, or among untrained societies where it 
often happens that the most unqualified persons to 
decide or act are for a time the most prominent, and 
where they obtrude their opinions upon all subjects 
that come before them, with equal confidence and 
vociferation. He had not, perhaps, been sufficiently 
inured to the free discussions of voluntary societies, 
and the unrestrained animadversions of a body of 
independent individuals to feel, after the storms of a 
protracted debate, the serenity of a summer’s even- 
13 


154 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


ing, which thousands in the metropolis and in this 
land of freedom, are accustomed to feel. But though 
this might have had some influence in preventing his 
making himself prominent in the religious societies 
in London, yet his retirement arose principally from 
other causes. 

He was chosen from time to time on the direction 
of the affairs of the Missionary Society, but did not 
make a point of attending, unless when he thought 
his mercantile, geographical, or nautical knowl¬ 
edge could be used to advantage, and then he nev¬ 
er withheld his presence or his opinions, whenever 
his health would admit of his attendance. After the 
Captain’s return from the South Seas, he resided in 
London for some time, his niece, as before, having 
the superintendence of his domestic concerns. The 
effects of a sedentary life,after a long sea voyage, soon 
manifested themselves in a very serious bilious attack, 
which indicated a morbid affection of the liver, and 
in his own opinion threatened his life. In this 
state of body he possessed great pleasure and com¬ 
fort of mind. He felt that he had lived to accom¬ 
plish an important object, and he was therefore not 
unwilling to die; but He who had fixed the bounds of 
his habitation, added nearly twenty years more to 
his life. He felt himself very subject to frequent at¬ 
tacks of the same, or similar complaints, which made 
him very cautious as to his regimen, and often pre¬ 
vented his being out at the meetings of the Direc¬ 
tors, because of the evening air. 

The same unerring Providence which had guided 
him by a right way through the whole journey of 
life, now led him to a city of habitation, by uniting 
him with a rich and respectable family on Denmark 
Hill, and placing him under the pastoral care of 
the Rev. George Clayton, of Walworth. 

Immediately on his return from India, he mani¬ 
fested a benevolent concern to advance th.e interest 


HIS SETTLING IN LONDON. 


155 


of several relatives, the descendants of two of his 
brothers, and it was his aim after his return from 
the Missionary voyage to promote the same object. 
One of these had obtained a respectable wine trade 
in London, and afterwards entered into extensive 
mercantile engagements. The Captain out of pure 
kindness to his relative, advanced several thousand 
pounds in aid of his capital. This sum being in 
jeopardy from the state of the times, to save them 
and to rescue his friend and relative from the gulph 
which he perceived opening beneath him, he advan¬ 
ced some thousands more. Besides these loans to 
his relative, he likewise made some, of nearly or 
quite sixteen thousand pounds to another individual 
in part connected with his relative, and as he con¬ 
ceived principally for his benefit. He continued to 
make advances in order to save the former suras, 
till in consequence of what has been called the 
second South Sea bubble, or the failures of the 
British merchants in the shipments to South 
America, his relative failed for a vast sum of money, 
and the other person was incapable of meeting the 
Captain’s demands upon him, so that all the advan¬ 
tages of some years fatigue in the Indies, besides 
what he received with Mrs. Wilson, and what was 
left him by Mr. Holbert, his father-in-law, a sum in 
tire whole little short of thirty thousand pounds, 
were all swallowed up by the adventurous engage¬ 
ments of one he from pure friendship most earnestly 
wished to serve. 

Though, through the kindness of a munificent 
Providence, he still possessed an ample fortune for 
his children, in the right of Mrs. Wilson; he had 
nothing at his own disposal that he thought would 
admit of leaving to any of his friends, the least 
testimony of former friendship, however endearing, 
or of long standing. Though his loss deprived him 
of none of .the comforts of life or the means of mak~ 


156 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


ing a respectable appearance in society, yet it was 
an event that tried his mind in a very considerable 
degree, not only on his own account, but also on ac¬ 
count of his family and those relatives who had 
partaken of bis kindness, but from whom he now 
thought himself called in a great measure to withhold 
his benevolence in future. This part of domestic 
calamity would not have been thus particularized, 
but as it serves to shew that remarkable events of 
providence attended him even to the last, and that 
all human possessions are mutable and uncertain. 
But it is mentioned principally because it appears 
necessarily due to his memory; for the general 
report of his possessing a very ample fortune, natu¬ 
rally induced the friends of religion to expect from 
him a liberality to the cause oftiod, in some meas¬ 
ure corresponding with his riches and his former 
professions of zeal for the welfare of that cause. 
This event not only prevented any testamentary 
tokens of concern for that Society and cause to 
which he had been such a prominent and zealous 
friend, but it limited his ability for extensive benev¬ 
olence during the greater part of his residence near 
London. 

To describe a man without faults, is in the esteem 
of all that know human nature, even in its most im¬ 
proved state, to discredit the whole account. Thfcre 
are few days so clear as to be without a cloud; even 
the luminary of day itself has some dark spots on 
its disk. 

The Captain’s temper was naturally reserved, 
and though softened and rendered affable by divine 
gr^ce, yet at times, it partook of something border¬ 
ing on hauteur. This as it was his fault, was to 
himself the cause of considerable suffering; he often 
lamented to the writer that he had not sufficiently 
known his own character; for, said he, had any one 
informed me, after I returned from the South Sea 


HIS SETTLING IN LONDON. 


157 


Mission, when my fortune was all safe in the Eng¬ 
lish funds, that any thing would have induced me to 
venture it on any mercantile engagement or individ¬ 
ual security, I should have smiled at his ignorance 
of my character, and should have said, it is impossi¬ 
ble. What he lamented as his fault was, that he 
had not advised with some judicious friends on the 
prudence or propriety of making such large advances 
of a pecuniary nature upon such precarious securi¬ 
ty, but more especially, that he had never acquaint¬ 
ed Mrs. Wilson with the extent of it, nor in any 
case on this subject advised with her about it. This 
certainly was not right; the marriage bond includes 
reciprocal duties and confidence as well as affection. 
It is an old adage, and 1 am persuaded generally a 
very true one, “A man will seldom do wrong if he 
consults his wife.” She may lead him wrong, if the 
scheme be her own, but her fears and advice may 
be of great advantage to the husband if he listens to 
her, in making him reflect and examine his own de¬ 
signs, till he is under the control of a cautious dispo¬ 
sition. When the failure was known in which the 
whole of the Captain’s fortune was involved, he had 
the unspeakable pain of disclosing the circumstance 
to Mrs. Wilson and her family in all its extent. Had 
it been done some time before, probably it had pre¬ 
vented a considerable part of the loss, and saved him 
from much painful anxiety. However, when she 
fully understood the subject, her concern was more 
about his feelings than their loss; and instead of 
making any reflections on him, she consoled his 
mind by reminding him, that every thing is from 
the Lord, for some wise end, and that still they had 
a sufficiency left for them and their family, and also 
an interest in a covenant ordered in all things and 
sure. He, however, admitted he had unwittingly lent 
his aid more from feelings of benevolence and kind¬ 
ness, than from the dictates of his understanding. 

*13 


158 


MEMOIRS 0* CAPTAIN WILSON. 


These unpleasant subjects are mentioned as admon¬ 
itory events in this age of daring and imprudent 
speculation, in which the adventurer not only in¬ 
volves himself but all his connections, and in which 
he himself often suffers the least. 

Few lives have more clearly taught us the uncer¬ 
tainty of human possessions, and that we are under 
the control of an invisible hand, than that of Captain 
Wilson. A life subject to such a vast number of 
changes must necessarily have excited as numerous 
and various feelings; these had produced in the Cap¬ 
tain’s mind a deep and lively sense of the divine 
government. He admitted that all he possessed 
was by the special gift of a munificent Providence, 
and that the same hand which had given, or rather 
lent it to him, had a right to take it again. If, how ¬ 
ever, there was in the character of this excellent 
man any other shade than that just mentioned, it 
was perhaps a want of a sufficient sense of his ob¬ 
ligation to his God and Redeemer, to use a proportion 
of his property for his honor, and a little too much 
attachment to the wealth of this world. God often 
chastises faults in his own people, which he suffers 
to pass without correction in the men of the world. 
Christians are partakers of more exalted principles, 
have higher privileges, a more glorious destination, 
have greater obligations, and are therefore under a 
different discipline from unregenerate men. The 
cause of truth, and the salvation of the souls of men, 
is, under God, dependent upon the principles and 
actions of his own people. What he gives them is 
not for themselves only, they are to be the lights of 
the world and the salt of the eafth; they are to lay 
by, according as God has prospered them, for the 
promotion of his cause. “He that soweth sparingly 
shall reap also sparingly, he that soweth bountiful¬ 
ly shall reap bountifully, and he that soweth to the 
flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption.” These 


HIS SETTLING IN LONDON. 


159 


principles are better understood, and more practi¬ 
cally felt than they were fifty years since; but still 
they are not sufficiently felt by Christians in general, 
especially, by many of the richer members of the 
church of Christ, though there are certainly many- 
happy exceptions; their liberality to the cause of 
God is very little when compared with that of the 
laboring classes of society. The word of God does 
not instruct us to level the distinctions which Provi¬ 
dence has made in society. Though penuriousness 
may induce some, so improperly to limit their ex¬ 
penditure, as not to afford to the laboring, manufac¬ 
turing, and trading classes thatencouragement which 
they have a right to expect; yet the Apostle Peter 
teaches us, that there is an external appearance of 
costliness even in our apparel, and of course in 
greater things, unbecoming persons professing god¬ 
liness, which ought to be conscientiously avoided. 

It has often been a question of conscience with 
many, what is the portion which persons should ap¬ 
propriate of their income to the cause of God and 
the poor? A Countess of Warwick, many years ago, 
in reply to a question proposed by her on this subject 
to a minister, received for answer, “It is hard, if not 
impossible, to fix a rule which can hold universally, 
and that the circumstances in which persons stand, 
their yearly income, their dependencies, and emer¬ 
gent occasions inevitably occurring, must all be 
considered;” but when urged by her for a more di¬ 
rect reply, as the question respected her own case, 
he suggested that a seventh part would be a fit pro¬ 
portion of her income to devote to charitable uses; 
she immediately informed him that she had resolved 
never to give less than one third. Some think from 
a seventh of our time being required for God, that 
a seventh of our property should be devoted to 
him, yet as in the case of the Countess, even this 
would not give scope to the feelings, and comprehend 


160 


MEMOIRS OE CAPTAIN WILSON. 


the abilities of some. Others think from the tenth 
of the income being appropriated as early as the call 
of Abraham, that less should not be appropriated 
now under the gospel dispensation. We must ad¬ 
mit with the adviser of the Countess of Warwick, 
that no rule can be presented that will universally 
apply, yet a tenth of the savings, or in other words, 
of the increase of the capital of an individual, after 
all domestic and other expences are discharged, can¬ 
not in general either injure the man, his family, or 
his creditors. Though the far greater majority of 
Christians individually considered, give much more 
than this, yet it is questionable, whether this is true 
in the average of the ultimate savings of the Chris¬ 
tians of the present day in Great Britain; at least it 
is not true of many: but a careful observer of the 
providence of God may clearly perceive the truth of 
sacred writ. “There is that scattereth yet increas¬ 
es h, and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, 
but it tendeth to poverty:” this is often verified 
either in the person or his children. 

The Captain did not admit of adopting any fixed 
rule of benevolence; he, with perhaps most other per¬ 
sons, left his benefactions to depend principally up¬ 
on the number of applications. To some this may 
be the best method; but in the opinion of the author, 
which was freely given to his friend, it should be the 
result of a prayerful and conscientious examination 
of his circumstances, because the command is, “let 
every one of you lay by in store, for the collection 
for the saints, as God has prospered him;” and be¬ 
cause when once the rule is adopted, and the habit 
formed, it prevents that grudging and carnal reason¬ 
ing which naturally arise in the heart, when objects 
of charity are presented. If the sum to be appropria¬ 
ted for benevolent purposes is fixed by the individual 
according to some rule, the judgment has only impar¬ 
tially to examine the degree of excellence of each case 


HIS SETTLING IN LONDON. 


161 


and the claims it has upon him. Nor is the person 
bound by this rule not to exercise faith and give vent 
to his generous feelings in special cases, as it is not 
necessary that the rule should never be exceeded; but 
its use chiefly is, to keep the conscience and the hab¬ 
its up to the principle. The tenor of these remarks was 
made in the presence of a valuable friend of the au¬ 
thor’s, some few months since, who felt the force of 
them on his heart, and after mature reflection, resolv¬ 
ed to act under their influence. After he had examined 
the sum which the proceeds of his business, and the 
interest of his monies not employed in trade, had 
enabled him to add to bis capital in the past year, 
and after he had deducted the sums he had given to 
benevolent objects, among which he did not reckon 
the subscriptions for the support of the ministry of 
the word, because he considered this an act of jus¬ 
tice, not of benevolence, as he and his family partook 
of the advantage; he found upon the principle of giv¬ 
ing a tenth of his savings that he was three hundred 
pounds in debt to the cause of God, principally for 
the last year only. This sum he immediately appro¬ 
priated with the knowledge and approbation of his 
wife to some specific objects of benevolence, but the 
donor is known to none but his friend. This was 
accompanied with a declaration, that through the 
strength of divine grace it was his design to pursue 
the same rule in future. This fact is recorded for 
the sake of example, as this person was not consid¬ 
ered by his friends as at all deficient in liberality 
before. 

It w as remarked by many, after the Captain had 
made so noble a sacrifice of his time and property 
in the missionary voyage, when it was understood 
that he had married a truly pious lady, the only 
child of a gentleman of very ample fortune; “See 
how God rewards his faithful servants even in this 
life.” But he who gave him this addition to his for¬ 
tune, thought fit to wean his heart from it, and this 


162 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


was, perhaps, one reason why he was suffered to 
sustain so great a loss by the adventurous conduct 
of others. In either view the providence is instruct¬ 
ing and improving. We see how easily God 
can return to his people a hundred fold in this life 
for what they do for his cause, and on the other side 
we see that if his people do not make a scriptural 
and benevolent use of what he gives, how easy it is 
for God to take it again. «Whoso is wise and will 
observe these things, shall understand the loving 
kindness of the Lord.” 

This event, in a spiritual sense, proved highly 
beneficial to the Captain. It gave him deeper dis¬ 
coveries of his own heart, and of the minute fulfil¬ 
ment of the word by the providence of God. In 
the October and May previous to his death, these 
events were the subject of very useful conversation 
between the Captain and his friend, he observed, 
“In how many ways God has taught me my depen- 
dance upon him! he saw this was the most effectual 
way to humble my spirit, to wean me from the 
w orld, and to bring me nearer to himself, and 1 trust 
lie has done it.” The writer never left his compa¬ 
ny at the period mentioned, but he felt in a lively 
degree, that as iron sharpeneth iron, so does the 
countenance of a man his friend. The profitable 
reflections he made upon his own life and experi¬ 
ence, shewed how closely he had watched his own 
spirit, and the advantages he had derived from the 
word of God. 

His family afflictions and frequent personal indis¬ 
positions produced retired and domestic habits; 
though he was not prominent in any of the active 
societies in the metropolis for general usefulness, yet 
he improved hisxetirement to the benefit of his person¬ 
al religion. His reading did not partake of an ex¬ 
tensive range of subjects, but it w as well employed 
on those of theology; he not only read, but studied 
the Scriptures; the word of God was his companion. 


HIS DEATH. 


163 


Part of* the day was devoted to reading the Scrip¬ 
tures, and committing certain portions to memory, 
and another part to a repetition of them as lie walked 
or rode to town, or employed himself in his garden. 
By this means he obtained a great richness in exper¬ 
imental religion. His conversation with his intimate 
friends was highly instructive and animating. In¬ 
deed, his religious feelings were kept so much alive 
by this profitable train of meditation and much 
prayer, that he felt considerable reluctance to com¬ 
pany, as he was often disappointed in not meeting 
with a corresponding disposition in others to con¬ 
verse on spiritual subjects. The last interview 
which the author had with his friend was in the May 
previous to his death, at which time, his mind was 
spiritual, resigned, and full of confidence of his per¬ 
sonal interest in the blessings of the gospel. He 
wondered at the sovereign grace which had been 
manifested to him, and exulted in the glorious pros¬ 
pect before him. 

His last illness was painful and protracted, but he 
bore it with great patience and fortitude, and his 
death was not only peaceful, but triumphant. - His 
much respected pastor and friend, the Rev. George 
Clayton, preached his funeral sermon to a very res¬ 
pectable and crowded auditory. In this discourse, 
he gave an affectionate testimony to the character of 
his deceased friend and deacon of the church, and 
also an interesting account of the last closing period 
of a life, which, for diversity of circumstances, af¬ 
fecting incidents and happy termination, has but 
few equals. Mr. Clayton has kindly furnished the 
author with the substance of this account, with per¬ 
mission to insert it, which is here done with the 
omission of a few facts already recorded in the pre¬ 
vious part of the memoirs. 

Such, blessed be God! says Mr. Clayton, is the 
consolation we enjoy in regard to our departed friend 
and brother. I must confess L feel some degree of 


164 


MEMOIRS Of CAPTAIN WILSON. 


embarrassment in speaking of him upon this occa¬ 
sion, because he enjoined me in his last moments to 
say nothing which should tend to bring him into no¬ 
tice. Yet this injunction, which was quite in unison 
with the retiring modesty of his character, had an 
exceptive clause relating to the glory of God and the 
edification of the church. It is not possible, how¬ 
ever to separate these points from personal allusions, 
when a narrative is to be given, designed to illus¬ 
trate the efficacy of Christian principles, in scenes 
of sickness and in the hour of death. Whatever it 
may be necessary to say of the individual, is not in¬ 
tended to exalt the dead, or to administer to the un¬ 
profitable curiosity of the livings but is advanced 
with a view to glorify the truth and grace of our Di¬ 
vine Master w hose w 7 e are and whom we serve. It 
happens that our departed friend was very extensively 
known in the religious world, more particularly from 
the circumstance of his accepting the command of 
the ship Duff, a vessel fitted out at a considerable 
cost by the Directors of the Missionary Society. 
On this account, some details of the concluding 
scenes of his Christian course may very naturally 
be expected. I shall not attempt to enter minutely 
into the particulars of his early life, though his his¬ 
tory was indeed an eventful one, because it is my 
aim to present him to your observation, only as he 
was occupied in the province of religion. Suffice it 
then to observe that, on his return from the voyage, 
in which he proved himself w orthy of the trust re¬ 
posed in him, his circle of connections and friends 
was greatly widened. Among other families of 
worth and affluence to whose acquaintance he was 
introduced, was that of the late Richard Holbert, 
Esq. of Denmark Hill, Camberwell, whose amiable 
and pious daughter he married in the year 1799, and 
found in her to his latest day a most tender and af¬ 
fectionate wife. Having entered upon a domestic 


HIS DEATH. 


165 


settlement which fixed him in our immediate neigh¬ 
borhood, he became an occasional communicant 
at the table of the Lord in this place, till in the year 
1805, he received a regular and honorable dismis¬ 
sion from the Christian Society at Portsca, under 
the pastoral care of the Rev. J. Griffin. Subse¬ 
quently to this, he was appointed to the office of 
Deacon, by the unanimous suffrages of this religious 
community; an office which he continued to fill 
peacefully and usefully, till the time of his removal 
from the present world. And we can bear a thank¬ 
ful testimony to the manner in which our departed 
brother fulfilled the duties devolving on him. We 
are witnesses of his steady attachment to the house 
of God, his punctual attendance on the ordinances 
of divine worship, and his humble unassuming de¬ 
portment amongst us. At no time has he sought 
to usurp undue authority, or to lord it over God’s 
heritage. Deeply convinced of the evils of an offi¬ 
cious and over-bearing temper in dissenting church¬ 
es, he never was ambitious of taking the lead, and 
though by no means reluctant to act when fairly 
called upon, he did not misuse his office by rudely 
prying into the affairs of others, nor overstep its 
scriptural limits by intruding into the province of 
the minister. If any one should incline to censure 
him for appearing less frequently in public societies 
than in former years, let the change of his circum¬ 
stances and the new train of duties they brought 
with them, be duly weighed. While in unconnected 
life, without relative calls and domestic claims, he 
could very properly devote the greater part of his 
time and attention to religious objects abroad; but 
when he contracted those alliances which involved 
the various and responsible offices of a son, a hus¬ 
band, and a father, it certainly became him to shew 
piety at home. 

14 


166 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


About ten months ago, his health visibly suffered 
by the incroachments of an internal distemper. No 
very alarming symptoms however, at first appeared; 
but as weeks and months revolved, it was impossible 
not to observe the change, which augmented disease 
bad made in his frame and appearance. So long 
since as the close of the year 1813, his aspect w as 
such as to excite the regret and apprehension of all 
his friends, and he even then entertained some 
thoughts that his sickness would probably be unto 
death . Under this impression, he made the foliow T - 
ing observation—“I would as soon die now as at 
any time, if it were not on account of these ties (al¬ 
luding to his endeared wife and his little children,) 
but the Lord is all-sufficient; I can trust them in the 
hands of that God who has been my God.” The 
first sabbath in January 1814, was the last in which 
lie officiated at the table of the Lord in distributing 
the elements of bread and wine, and the last but one 
(I believe in the month of February,) in which he 
appeared as a worshipper in the sanctuary of God. 
He used to express much regret at this unavoidable 
detention from our public assemblies, saying, “When 
shall I come and appear before God?” and in the 
language of Hezekiah, “What is the sign that I 
shall go up to the house of the Lord?” a commenda¬ 
ble feeling this in the chamber of sickness, and very 
unlike the temper of some professing Christians, 
who pant more ardently for a return to the places 
of busy traffic and mercantile concourse, and are 
sooner seen there on recovery, than for the courts of 
Jehovah—the palaces of Zion. 

It pleased God to exempt our departed brother 
from acute pain, of which he had only two severe 
paroxysms during his long protracted illness. This 
a deviating circumstance, enabled him to employ his 
leisure hours in those thoughts and exercises of 
mind, w hich were suited to the dispensation under 


HIS DEATH. 


16 


which he was placed, and to the prospects which 
were opening before him in unparalleled grandeur 
and awful solemnity. As 1 was a near observer 
of the operations of his mind at this critical junc¬ 
ture, 1 shall record them as they offered themselves 
to my notice. I marked in the first place a deep and 
anxious investigation into the state of his soul. He 
debated the matter of his personal religion, as in the 
light and under the immediate eye of God. Con¬ 
sidering the ease witli which a man may deceive him¬ 
self, and impose upon others by an empty and un¬ 
profitable form of godliness, he was desirous of 
availing himself of every assistance in ascertaining 
the truth of his condition. He felt perplexed on the 
ground of indwelling sin , and for the sake of ob¬ 
taining clear views and refreshing his recollections 
on this important point, he read Dr. Owen’s master¬ 
ly treatise on the subject. On one occasion he told 
me, he had been seriously engaged in examining the 
grounds and evidences of his own conversion , fearing 
Jest he should take too much for granted, or regard 
a change of sentiment and a reformation of manners 
as conversion, without the inbeing of that spiritual 
life and those concomitant fruits of the Spirit, which 
the scriptures represent as indispensably necessary. 
He dwelt much on this.thcme, and we concluded with 
prayer for light, sincerity and satisfaction. Having 
attained to some good degree of certainty on this 
momentous point, he enjoyed a stable peace , by faith 
in the atonement and righteousness of Jesus Christ, 
and never afterwarde betrayed even a momentary 
disquietude or alarm, at the prospect or consequen¬ 
ces of his approaching dissolution. He had been 
generally accustomed to repeat those lines of Dr. 
Haweis at the end of every day. 

“One day more is past 

And the nearer my last, 

To the close of my life and my labors I haste. 


168 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


My strength as my day 
Renewed—I stay 

On Jesus my hope, and still hold on my way.’* 

and was wont to add with peculiar emphasis and 
delight— 

“And when my work done 
My full course I have run, 

A ad my pilgri mage finished under the sun, 

To heav’n 1 shall soar, 

Where the night is no more 
And awake to thy praise, thee ever t’ adore.’* 

Habituated thus familiarly to converse with death, 
he was not in the least degree dismayed by its 
nearer approaches. To his medical friend, and to 
those who occasionally visited him, he would talk 
with as much calmness of his departure from tlie 
world, as of any transaction to which he had been 
accustomed while in it. On one occasion he quoted 
with evident pleasure, the lines of that experimental 
author named above, as applicable to his own case. 

“Safe lodg’d my fruits, at even tide I rest; 

My work near done, I lean on Jesu’s breast, 

Wait, without fear death’s winter drawing nigh, 

Preparing for my mansion in the sky.” 

His indeed was a strong and unwavering faith, 
which swallowed up every fear, and enabled him to 
look at death not only without dread but with joy 
and triumph. The exercise of this holy principle 
moreover was not restricted to the concerns of his 
soul, which he had committed into the hands of the 
Redeemer, but extended also to those of his family, 
lie was the subject of warm affections, and as a 
kind husband and a fond father, his little ones 
were closely entwined about his heart; yet through 
a fiducial reliance on the divine Providence he was 
enabled to divest himself of all the tender anxieties 
of a relative life, and to cast them on his God and 
Savior. The struggle was painful, but faith was 


HIS DEATH. 


169 


completely victorious. He would pray earnestly 
for his dear children, and express a strong desire 
that they might be trained up in scriptural senti¬ 
ments and thus brought to the knowledge of Christ 
—but it was evident that he had no disquieting care 
concerning them, and no prevailing wish to continue 
with them. The cords of earthly attachment were 
all loosened, and the willing spirit waited without 
perturbation, the signal for its flight. 

Exemplary patience was a distinguishing feature 
in the character of this dying believer. Though 
made to possess months of vanity, and though many 
wearisome nights were appointed unto him, not a 
murmuring word was heard to escape his lips. He 
justified the sovereign disposer of events in his 
dealings towards him, and was rather inclined to en¬ 
large on the subject of his mercies than his afflictions. 
Charity also, to his fellow-creatures was manifestly 
apparent in his last hours. He declared his forgive¬ 
ness of those who had injured him, and testified his 
good will towards them by offering up prayers on 
their behalf. In this state of readiness for the hour 
of his departure, he seemed considerably disappoint¬ 
ed when the morning light returned and beheld him 
still in this vale of tears, and especially w hen the 
revolving sabbath witnessed those conflicts on earth 
which he longed to exchange for the rest and the 
triumph of heaven. Surveying the w astes of disease 
in his emaciated frame, he exclaimed, “What a dif¬ 
ferent body will this be in the morning of the resur¬ 
rection, if I am found in Christ! I hope I shall be 
enabled to wait with patience till my change come. 
I am not afraid to trust my all in the hands of the 
despised Nazarinc!” To a relation who said, “I 
hope you will get better,” he replied, “my hope is 
beyond Jordan!” At one time lie repeated those 
lines as applicable to his ow n case— 

*14 


170 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


‘‘Triumphant now from sin and death, 

From law and curse secure; 

Peaceful I jield my parting breath, 

And know my heaven is sure!” 

On the return of his pastor from an excursion in 
the country, of whom he had already taken a solemn, 
affectionate, and as it was judged, a last farewell, 
he expressed great surprise that we had met again 
in. the body. had hoped,” said he “to have ob¬ 
tained my release ere this, but the messenger still 
delays. 1 desire to say, the will of the Lord be 
done—but 1 request you will pray for a speedy dis¬ 
mission.” His nights, which lor the most part 
were sleepless, he passed in prayer, and in the rec¬ 
ollection of those passages of scripture which were 
familiar to his mind. And it is here especially 
worthy of observation that he derived the utmost 
solace and refreshment from the many portions of 
sacred writ which he had committed to memory in the 
last years of his life. The account he gave of this 
matter, was as follows: “When I arrived at the age 
of forty-six, beginning to feel the failure of sight, 
1 was struck with the idea, that I might perhaps 
become wholly unable to read the sacred volume; 
under this impression l set myself to learn by heart 
w hole chapters , and even books , winch l rehearsed 
in my solitude, whether at home or abroad, in set 
portions every day. So that in the course of a week 
i had repeated all I had learned, and by this means 
retained what I had previously acquired, arid con¬ 
tinued adding something to the store! “1 cannot de¬ 
scribe,” said lie, “the pleasure and advantage 1 have 
derived from this practice, especially since I have 
been laid on this sick bed: I am now incapable of 
reading much, but 1 have found a rich fund of con¬ 
solation in recurring to those parts of the scriptures 
which 1 have treasured up in my memory.” The 


UIS DEATH. 


171 


word of Christ dwelt in him richly, and as he de¬ 
lighted much in the law of t he Lord, so lie meditated 
therein day and night. From a personal experience 
of the benefit accruing from such a familiar acquaint¬ 
ance with the bibie, he enjoined it upon his dear 
children, and recommended to his young friends in 
general, to copy his example in this respect, only to 
begin much earlier than he did. After expressing 
his kind wishes for a young gentleman for whom he 
entertained a great esteem, he sent this message to 
him by a mutual friend, who was about to visit him 
in a remote part of the country, “Charge him to 
store his memory w'ith the Scriptures, to begin 
immediately, for now is the time to set about it. 
Had I begun at his age, i should now have been able 
to recite that blessed book from beginning to end.” 
It is believed this message from the lips of a dying 
Christian had its full weight; and has led to the 
adoption of the salutary practice it intended to rec¬ 
ommend. Our departed brother could repeat per¬ 
fectly a great part of the Psalms of David; many 
chapters of the prophecies, and of the gospels, and 
several entire epistles of the New Testament. In 
one of those nights which he passed without sleep, 
he informed an old friend w ho kept watch at his bed 
side, that he had repeated the Epistle to the 
Hebrews, from the first to the eleventh chapter in¬ 
clusive; and he believed, without the omission of a 
single verse. 

To one of his children, the Sabbath before his 
departure, he said, w ith a firm tone, “My dear child, 
I thought I should not have seen you again, I ex¬ 
pected this would have been the first Sabbath I 
should have spent in eternity, but God’s time is best.” 
On one of his friends inquiring if he were comfort¬ 
able, he replied, “Yes, and if I had but my tongue,” 
(his mouth being in such a state as to render speak- 


172 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


ing exquisitely painful,) “I would let you all know 
how happy 1 am; 1 am looking for that blessed hope 
and the glorious appearing of the great God my 
Savior.” At one season he observed, “Here 1 am, 
waiting for my change—what a mercy! lfl were a 
heathen 1 could not w ait so.” To his medical at¬ 
tendant, who, aware of his unconquerable aversion 
to medicine, had, with much kindness, administered 
as little as the case would admit, he said, “I cannot 
take any more, let me go as easily as you can;” and 
then, lifting up his eyes to heaven, added, “Lord, 
now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for I 
trust mine eyes have seen thy salvation.” Not long 
before his dismission, he used the following verses, 
with a reference to his own circumstances— 


“My fluttering pulse, and fait*ring breath. 

Announce the near approach of death; 
llow can I meet, dear Savior, say, 

The last dark, dismal, cloudiest day. 

‘‘Look to my cross, the sovereign cure, 

For all the ills thou can’st endure; 

Whence dart the beams of endless day, 

And clouds and darkness flee away.” 

He was blessed with the continuance of his intel¬ 
lectual faculties till within two or three hours of 
his dissolution, when the powers of nature being 
completely exhausted, the unfettered spirit was al¬ 
lowed to take its joyful flight to that blissful region, 
where the inhabitant saith not, “1 am sick,” the 
people that dwell therein having been forgiven their 
iniquities. Contemplating his undisturbed and tran¬ 
quil exit, we may truly and emphatically say, “the 
end of that man is peace.” 

Thus terminated the life of Captain Wilson, on 
Friday, August 12, 1814, at the age of fifty-four, 
leaving a widow', a son, and four daughters, to la- 


MIS DEATH. 


173 


merit their loss. Since liis death, Mrs. Wilson has 
been bereaved of her second daughter about eleven 
>ears of age, who gave pleasing testimony that she 
was graciously fitted to meet the blessed spirit of her 
father in tlie realms of eternal light and felicity. 

The life and death of the Captain furnish subjects 
for much improvement to the reflecting and pious 
mind; they give an interesting view of the provi¬ 
dence of God. it appears mysterious, yet wise in 
its operations—often afflictive in its events, yet 
kind in its designs—the minutest parts accurately 
arranged in connection with the most prominent— 
and all like the seasons of the year, terminating in 
some grand and beneficial result; or like the elements 
of nature, working together for good. The storms 
of a commercial life, the calms of easy circumstan¬ 
ces and retirement, the blasts of temporal adversity^ 
the beams of prosperity, the floods of domestic afflic¬ 
tion, the soft breezes of religious friendship, all pro¬ 
moted bis final and eternal welfare. In the early 
part of bis life we see the band which held, support¬ 
ed, and directed him, but which he then saw not. 
We see how wonderfully he who had chosen him from 
eternity prepared his way before him, and fitted the 
instruments which were to be employed in his con¬ 
version. With admiration we see how events, per¬ 
sons, places, and times concurred to bring his spirit 
in faith and repentance, to that God whom he had 
offended, and whose salvation he despised. That 
Providence which had preserved him amidst deaths 
often, various and numerous, till he was effectually 
called by divine grace, guided his feet, by ways to 
him unknown, to a city of habitation. 

The other parts of his life show in a manner con¬ 
founding to human pride, but highly encouraging to 
faith, the sovereignty of divine mercy, the riches of 


174 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


divine grace, the efficient influence of truth, and the 
ineffable blessings of real religion. These princi¬ 
ples enable the most endeared relatives and connec¬ 
tions to follow the soul of their friend up to the 
gates of death, and to contemplate his state beyond 
the grave with the suldimest feelings of delight, ad¬ 
miration, and gratitude. “For him to live was 
Christ, but to die was gain.” 


APPENDIX 


Since the preceding Memoir was compiled, a 
most wonderful and happy change has been wrought 
in the state of the mission to the South Sea Islands. 
The particulars may be gathered by a perusal of the 
following extracts. 

The Rev. Mr. Marsden in a letter dated March 
6th, 1816, states that not less than seven hun¬ 
dred natives were attending the school of the Mission¬ 
aries at Eimeo. A Sydney gazette also mentions 
the sudden increase of the school from 50 or 60, 
which had usually attended, to that number; and 
adds; ‘Independent of those taught at the school, 
many others have learned to read under the tutorage 
of their own countrymen, whose books they borrow 
occasionally, and thence accrues a new source for 
the extension of knowledge. Idolatry has received 
an universal shock, and totters from its foundation 
throughout all the islands. Some of the opposing 
chiefs, with the priests and their followers, endea¬ 
vor to prop the rotten fabric, but their efforts 
conspicuously tend to the acceleration of its fall. > 

The same gentleman, in a letter dated June r, 
1816, says, ‘All accounts agree that a most won¬ 
derful change has been produced in all the Society 
Islands; and the spread of the Gospel seems to be 
almost universal. I think we have never read, since 


176 MEMOIRS OP CAPTAIN WILSON. 

the Apostles’ clays, of the Gospel spreading in so 
wonderful a manner as it has done lately in these 
Islands. Pomare is become a great man and a pious 
Christian; and shews the work of grace to be real 
from the whole of his conduct. 1 understand he is 
now a sovereign once more. His enemies made an 
attack upon him and his people on the Sabbath day, 
when they imagined they Mould not defend them¬ 
selves; but Pomare felt it his duty to fight on the 
Sabbath, in defence of himself and subjects. In this 
battle he obtained a complete victory, and took many 
prisoners; whose lives he spared, contrary to their 
custom, which has had the most happy elfect upon 
the minds of his enemies, as it has convinced them 
that the new religion is a merciful religion. Many 
have joined him from the effects of his clemency.’ 

While angry controversialists are denying the 
utility or expediency of missionary establishments, 
it is a high gratification to the mind of a Christian 
to be able to repose upon such facts as the following. 

Idolatry is totally abolished in Otaheite and 
Eimeo, and is fast giving way in other islands. The 
school flourishes, and many who have learned to read, 
have dispersed themselves among the islands, and 
have taught others. Many hundreds can read well; 
at least 3,000 have books among them; and hundreds 
of the natives can repeat their Catechism word for 
word. 

The following are extracts from the letters of 
the Missionaries. After detailing some serious feuds 
in the islands,they add:— 

“ These things had a happy effect upon the minds 
of the idolaters. They unanimously declared, that 
they would trust their gods no longer; that they had 
deceived them, and sought their ruin; that hence¬ 
forward they would cast them away entirely, and 


APPENDIX. 


177 


embrace this new religion, which is so distinguished 
by its mildness, goodness, and forbearance. 

Tn the evening after the battle, the professors of 
Christianity assembled together, to worship and 
praise Jehovah for the happy turn which their affairs 
had taken. In this they were joined by many 
who had, till then, been the zealous worshippers of 
the idols. After this, Boimirre was by universal 
consent restored to bis former government of Taheit i 
and its dependencies; since which he lias constituted 
chiefs in the several districts, some of whom had 
for a long time made a public profession of Chris¬ 
tianity, and had for many months attended the 
means of instruction with us at Eimeo. 

In consequence of these events, idolatry was en¬ 
tirely abolished both at Taheiti and Eimeo; and 
we have the great, hut formerly unexpected, satis¬ 
faction of being able to say that Tahiti and Eimeo, 
together with the small islands of Tapuamanu and 
Teturoa, are now altogether, in profession, Christian 
islands. The gods are destroyed, the morais de¬ 
molished, human sacrifices and infant murder, we 
hope, for ever abolished; and the people every where 
calling upon us to come and teach them. 

The Sabbath-day is also every where strictly ob¬ 
served, and places for the worship of the true God 
have been erected, and are now erecting, in every 
district; and where there is no preaching, the peo¬ 
ple have prayer meetings every Sabbath, and every 
Wednesday evening, all round Taheiti and Eimeo. 

But this is not all; we have also good news to 
communicate about the Leeward Islands. Tamo- 
toa, or as he is now called Tapa, the principal chief, 
has also publicly renounced idolatry and embraced 
Christianity. His example has been followed by 
most of the other chiefs, and a large majority of the 
people throughout the four Society Islands; namely, 
Iiuahine, Raiatea, Tahaa, and Borabora. Two chiefs 
15 


178 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


of Borabora, named Tefaaora and Mai, have dis¬ 
tinguished themselves by their zeal in destroying 
the gods, and erecting a house for the worship of the 
true God. The chiefs of these islands have sent let¬ 
ters and repeated messages to us, earnestly entreat¬ 
ing us to send some of our number to them, to teach 
them also: and Mai sent us a letter to remind us 
that Jesus Christ and his apostles did not confine 
their instructions to one place or country. 

The school, notwithstanding former discourage¬ 
ments, has prospered exceedingly, and continues to 
prosper; though at present many hundreds of the 
scholars are scattered through the neighboring isl¬ 
and, some of whom are teaching others in the differ¬ 
ent islands and districts where they reside; and thus, 
through their means, some knowledge of reading 
and writing has spread far and wide. There are at 
least 3000 people who have some books, and can 
make use of them. Many hundreds can read well; 
and there are among them about 400 copies of the 
Old Testament History; and 400 of the New, which 
is an abridgment of the four Evangelists, and parts 
of the Acts of the Apostles.—Many chapters of 
Luke’s Gospel in manuscript are also in circulation; 
and 1000 copies of our Taheitian catechism, which 
several hundreds have learnt, and can repeat per¬ 
fectly. The spelling books which were printed in 
London, of which we had, we suppose, about 700, 
having been expended long ago, we had lately, 2000 
copies of a lesser spelling book printed in the colo¬ 
ny: these we have received and distributed; and 
there is an earnest call from all the islands for more 
books, the desire to learn to read and write being 
universal. NVe want a new edition of the above- 
mentioned books, and are now preparing the Gospel 
of Luke for the press. We intended to send the 
catechism and small spelling book to the colony, 
and get 2000 or 3000 printed; but having heard that 


APPENDIX. 


179 


a printing press is sent out for us, we thought it 
best to wait awhile, notwithstanding the urgent call 
of the natives, as we wish to prevent expense as 
much as possible. 

We enclose a letter from Fomarre, concerning 
his family gods, which have been delivered to us, 
that we might either destroy them, or, if we think 
proper, send them to you. We have chosen the lat¬ 
ter, and send them by this conveyance, nailed up in 
a case, directed to Mr. Hardcastle. These are the 
king’s family gods, and are a good specimen of the 
whole. The great national ones, which were of the 
same kind, only much larger, have been some time 
ago entirely destroyed.” 

The following is an Extract of a Letter from Po- 
marre, King of Taheiti, to the Missionaries. 

Friends, 

May you be saved by Jehovah and Jesus Christ 
our Savior! This is my speech to you, my friends. 
I wish you to send those idols to ftritain for the Mis¬ 
sionary Society, that they may know the likeness of 
the gods that Tahiti worshipped. Those were my 
own idols, belonging to our family from the time of 
Taaroamanahune (even to Yairaatoa:) and when 
he died he left them with me. And now, having been 
made acquainted with the true God, with Jehovah, 
He is my God, and when this body of mine shall be 
dissolved in death, may the Three-One save me! 
And this is my shelter, my close hiding-place, 
even from the anger of Jehovah. When he looks 
upon me, I will hide me at the feet of Jesus Christ 
the Savior, that I may escape. 1 feel pleasure and 
satisfaction in my mind; I rejoice, I praise Jehovah 
that he hath made known his word unto me. I 
should have gone to destruction if Jehovah had not 
interposed. Many have died and are gone to de- 


180 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


struction, kings and common people: they died with¬ 
out knowing any thing of the true God; and now 
when it came to the small remainder of the people, 
Jehovah hath been pleased to make known his word, 
and we are made acquainted with his good word, 
made acquainted with the deception of the false 
gods, with all that is evil and false. The true God 
Jehovah, it was he that made us acquainted with 
these tilings.—It was you that taught us; but the 
words, the knowledge, were from Jehovah. It is 
because of this that I rejoice, and I pray to Jeho¬ 
vah that he may increase my abhorrence of every 
evil way. The Three-One, He it is that can make 
the love of sin to cease; we cannot effect that; man 
cannot effect it; it is the work of God to cause evil 
things to be cast off, and the love of them to cease. 

I am going a journey around Taheifi, to acquaint 
the Ratiras with the word of God and to cause them 
to he vigilant about good things. The word of 
God does grow in Taheiti, and the Ratiras are dili¬ 
gent about setting up houses for worship; they are 
also diligent in seeking instruction, and now it is 
well with Taheiti. 

That principal idol, that has the red feathers of 
the Otun, is Temeharo—that is his name—look you: 
you may know it by the red feathers; that was Vai- 
raatoa’s own god, and those feathers were from the 
ship of lieutenant Watts; it was Vairaatoa that set 
them himself about the idol. If you think proper, 
you may burn them all in the fire; or if you like 
send them to your country, for the inspection of the 
people of Europe, that they may satisfy their curios¬ 
ity, and know Taheiti’s foolish gods. 

Should the Missionaries arrive at Morea, w r rite 
to me quickly, that I may know'. Let me know 
also w hat news there may he from Europe, and from 
Tort Jackson. Perhaps king George may be dead, 


APPENDIX. 


181 


let me know. I shall not go around Taheiti before 
the month of March. 

May you be saved, my friends, by Jehovah, and 
Jesus Christ, the only Savior by whom we sinners 
can be saved. 

Pomarre, King of Taheiti, &c. &c. 

Taheiti , Motua, Feb . 19, 1816. 

On the 13th of May, 1818, an Auxiliary Mission 
Society was formed at Taheiti. As great numbers 
of people assembled on that occasion, it was impossi¬ 
ble to accommodate them in the chapel then erected; 
so that the missionaries, and their hearers, met in a 
shady grove of cocoa nut trees. But during the fol¬ 
lowing year, Pomarre, the king, erected a large 
building, devoted to religious purposes, and called 
the Royal Mission Chapel . 

It is 712 feet long, and 54 feet wide. There are 
three pulpits, 260 feet from each other; and the ex¬ 
treme ones 100 feet from the ends of the house. On 
the 11th of May, 1819, the chapel was opened. The 
assembly of natives collected, at an early hour; the 
number was supposed to be about 6,000, to whom 
three of the missionaries preached, at the same time, 
in the three pulpits. Hymns given out by Mr. 
Bourne who occupied the middle pulpit, were sung 
by all the congregation, both before and after the 
sermons. 

The next day, the anniversary of the Missionary 
Society was observed with peculiar interest. The 
sermons and other religious exercises, were conduc¬ 
ted in a manner similar to those of the day preced¬ 
ing, and the services were closed with the utmost 
harmony and delight. 

“Thursday, May 13th,” say the missionaries, 
“was appointed for promulgating the laws. About 
noon we all assembled in the centre of the Koyat 

* 15 


182 


MEMOIivS Oi CAPTAIN WlLSOfc. 


Mission Chapel. The king requested brother Crook 
to open the business of the day. lie ascended the 
pulpit, and Pomarre followed. After singing, read¬ 
ing the Scriptures, and prayer, the king stood up, 
and looked upon the thousands of his subjects, on 
his right hand and on his left. Addressing himself 
to Tati, the pious chief of the southern part of the 
island, lie said, ‘Tati, what is your desire? what can 
1 do for you?’ Tati, who sat nearly opposite the 
pulpit, arose, and said, ‘Those are what we want,— 
the papers you hold in your hand,—the laws; give 
them to us, that we may have them in our hands, 
that we may regard them, and do what is right.* The 
king then addressed himself to Utami, the good chief 
of Teoropaa, and, in an affectionate manner, said, 
♦Utami, and what is your desire?’ He replied, ‘One 
thing only is desired by us all, that which Tati has 
expressed,—the laws which you hold in your hand.* 
The king addressed Arahu, the chief of Eimeo, and 
Veve, the chief of Taiarabu, nearly in the same man¬ 
ner, and they replied as the others had done. Pomarre 
proceeded to read and comment upon the law s respect¬ 
ing murder,theft, trespass, stolen property, lost prop¬ 
erty, sabbath-breaking, rebellion, marriage,adullery, 
the judges, court-houses, &c. in eighteen articles. 
After reading and explaining the several articles, he 
asked the chiefs if they approved of them? They 
replied aloud, ‘We agree to them;—we heartily agree 
to them.* The king then addressed the people, and 
desired them, if they approved of the laws, to signify 
the same by lifting up their right hands. This was 
unanimously done. When Pomarre came to the ar¬ 
ticle on rebellion, stirring up war, &c. he seemed in¬ 
clined to pass it over, but after a while proceeded. 
At the conclusion of that article, Tati was not con¬ 
tented with signifying his approbation in the usual 
way only; but, standing up, he called in a spir¬ 
ited manner to all his people to lift up their hands 


APPENDIX. 


183 


again, even both hands, he setting the example, 
which was universally followed. 

“Thus all the articles were passed and approved. 
Brother Henry concluded the meeting with a short 
address, prayer and blessing. This interesting 
scene may be better conceived than described. To 
see a king giving laws to his people with regard to 
the authority of the word of God, and the people re¬ 
ceiving the same with such universal satisfaction, 
was very affecting to us all.” 

The annual business of the Missionary Society 
was transacted on Friday. Pomarre officiated as 
President. Motions were made and supported by 
the missionaries and the leading natives. Votes of 
thanks were passed to the President, the Secretary, 
the Treasurer, the sub-treasurer, the governors of 
districts, &c. As the subscriptions are collected in 
produce, the Treasurer was directed to remit them 
by the first ship, and cause the proceeds to be paid 
to the Treasurer of the Missionary Society in Lon¬ 
don. 

Towards the close of the meeting, the king ad¬ 
dressed the governors, officers, and members of the 
Society, exhorting them to persevere in this delight¬ 
ful work. The services were begun and ended with 
singing and prayer. The king dined at Mr. Bick- 
nell’s with the missionaries. Five thousand copies 
of an address to the Society, written by Mr. Henry, 
and neatly printed by Mr. Bourne, were given to 
the governors for distribution among the people. 

On Sabbath-day, the 16th inst. the congregations 
were again assembled in the Chapel Royal. The 
people were not so numerous as before, owing to 
their having been so long from home; and being 
pinched for food, many had returned. However, 
we had still between four and five thousand hearers. 
Brother Wilson occupied the east pulpit, brother 


184 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON, 


Henry the west, and brother Bicknell the middle. 
They all preached from the same subject—The com¬ 
mission of our Lord to his disciples, to disciple and 
baptize all nations. Matt, xxviii, 18—20. Ser¬ 
mons being ended we all closed round the king, 
he being seated on the occasion, in the centre, 
near the middle pulpit. Brother Bourne commenced 
by giving out a hymn, which was sung by the congre¬ 
gation. Brother Bicknell engaged in prayer, which 
being ended, the king stood up. Brother Bicknell 
stood on the steps of the pulpit, and taking the wa¬ 
ter from the basin, held by brother Henry, poured it 
on his head, baptizing him in the name of the Fath¬ 
er, Son, and Holy Ghost. Pomarre was observed 
to lift his eyes to heaven, and move his lips with an 
indistinct sound. The sight was very moving, es¬ 
pecially to our elder brethren, who had been watch¬ 
ing over him for so many years. Brother Bick¬ 
nell addressed the king with firmness, yet not with¬ 
out a degree of tremor, entreating him to w alk w orthy 
of his high profession in the conspicuous situation he 
holds before the eyes of men,angels, and God himself. 
Brother Henry addressed the people, exhorting them 
to follow the example of their king, and to give them¬ 
selves up to the Lord. Another hymn was sung, 
and brother Wilson concluded the whole with prayer. 
Pomarre shook hands affectionately w ith all the mis¬ 
sionaries, they being stationed, by his own desire, 
at his right and left hand. After the ceremony the 
king retired to his camp.” 

On the evening of same day, the last service of 
this great national celebration was held with the na¬ 
tives in the mission chapel. Messrs. Bourne, 
Crooke, and Darling preached in the three pul¬ 
pits. 

Two days after, the missionaries wrote their an¬ 
nual circular, which is signed by eight of them, and 


APPENDIX. 


185 


in which the preceding accounts are exhibited more 
at length; except the promulgation of the laws, and 
the baptism of the king, which are copied ex¬ 
actly. 

At Huaheine, one of the Society Islands, an Aux¬ 
iliary Missionary Society was formed October 6, 
1818. Every contributor of five bamboos of cocoa- 
nut oil, or three balls of pia, (arrow-root,) or one 
pig, or four baskets of cotton, w as to be considered 
as a member. The Annual Meeting w as to be held 
in the great place of worship at Apootava. 

Accordingly, on May 18, 1819, the general meet¬ 
ing was held, at which a great congregation were 
present, including most of the inhabitants ofHua- 
heine, as also Tapa and other chiefs from Raiatea. 
After a prayer by Mr. Ellis, lie mentioned w hat had 
been done in Africa, by those who believed the word 
of God,—bow they contributed of their property * in 
order that others might hear the word of God. 

After this Mahine addressed the people, remind¬ 
ing them of “their former diligence, labor, and ex¬ 
pense in attending the worship of the false gods—. 
that w icked and unprofitable service,—and that to 
exceed in hearty diligence, in the service of the true 
God is nothing but right. The service of the idols 
is evil,—that of God truly good,—his word the 
means of salvation,—then let our diligence greatly 
exceed.” Then followed four others, with similar 
exhortations, exciting the people to persevere, and 
to contribute again, on the year ensuing. Mahine 
again addressed them, saying, “If agreeable to con¬ 
tribute again this new year hold up your hands, if 
not, keep them down.” All hands were raised in¬ 
stantly. 

After this, Tana, the general Secretary, gave an 
account of the contributions of the different districts 
tow ards promoting a know ledge of the word of God, 
viz. those of Huaheine, and also of Tapua Manu. 


186 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


The amount of these contributions was 3,985 ohe- 
mori, or bamboos of oil,* 98 pigs, 95 balls of arrow- 
root. 

Instead of one mission in the islands, there are 
now four. One on Taheiti, one on Eimeo, one on 
Kuaheine, and one on Raiatea. 

After describing the first meeting of the Auxiliary 
Missionary Society in Eimeo, the Report of the 
London Missionary Society has the following ob¬ 
servations: 

“Thus terminated, in some respects,one of the most 
remarkable meetings that ever w 7 as convened; and 
the future historian of the church will doubtless re¬ 
cord, with no ordinary emotions of pleasure, that 
the first Society formed in the Georgian Islands, 
with the entire concurrence of the inhabitants, had 
for its object the propagation of the everlasting 
Gospel; and that the first printed posting bill ever 
published and circulated throughout the districts of 
Otaheite and Eimeo, called upon the native popula¬ 
tion voluntarily to contribute to this noble and be¬ 
neficent design. # 

‘‘Messrs. Crook and Bourne labor at this station. 
From 70 to 100 of the natives assemble at the place 
of Mr. C.’s residence every morning and evening, 
when he explains a few verses of the Scriptures, and 
concludes with singing and prayer. The morning 
services are immediately followed by the business of 
the school, in which from 28 to 40 read the Scrip¬ 
tures with propriety, and show that, in a great 
measure, they understand what they read. 

“Mr. Crook observes, that the pious chief Utami 
and his people, who dwell at a place called Bunaauia, 

* 

* One joint of a large bamboo cane will hold two or three quarts of 
oil. This oil is very pleasant for lamps, having neither smoke nor 
smell. 


APPENDIX. 


187 


not far distant from Wilks’s Harbor, bad engaged to 
cultivate a piece of land wilh cotton; and that at 
this place, w hich is more like a town or village than 
any other in the island, there is a greater appear¬ 
ance of religion, as well as civilization, than at any 
other he has visited. 

“Mr. Bourne superintends a school in the district 
of Pare, about a quarter of a mile from Mr. Crook’s 
residence. He had printed some copies of a Taliei- 
tean Hymn-book, which the natives were eager to 
obtain. Pomarre had requested a large supply to dis¬ 
tribute among his followers. 

“As to the mission generally in the Windward 
Islands, the Directors are happy to state that there 
appears much to encourage a hope, that the great 
work which has been commenced in the islands will 
continue to advance still more and more, until it at¬ 
tain a state of solid and permanent maturity. How 
delightful to anticipate the period when all the 
blessings of religion and civilization shall be enjoyed 
by every family of these interesting isles! 

“In the last Report it was stated, that in conse¬ 
quence of the timely arrival of an additional supply 
of paper from the British and Foreign Bible Society, 
the brethren had resolved to extend the edition of 
St Luke’s Gospel from 1500 copies, the number origi¬ 
nally contemplated, toSOOOcopies. The Directors are 
happy now to state, that this intention had been ac¬ 
complished, and about 2000 copies distributed in the 
islands of Eitneo and Taheite only. The chief 
part of these were voluntarily purchased by the 
people, with articles of native produce; and the Mis¬ 
sionaries describe the eagerness to obtain them as 
being only equalled by the earnestness with which 
they were read. It was calculated that more than 
0000 of the natives could read; that this number 
would, at no very remote period, be doubled; and 
that at least 10,000 copies would soon be required to 


188 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


satisfy the demand. The brethren add, that the 
wish of the natives to obtain books had operated as 
a stimulus to labor, when nothing else, except 
hunger, would have had that effect. 

“In this place, the Directors consider it incum¬ 
bent on them to state, that during the past year the 
Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society 
have made two donations of paper, of 100 reams 
each, for the printing of the Scriptures in the 
Taheitean language, in addition to former grants 
for the same purpose, together with a donation of 50 
English Bibles and 100 Testaments. 

“Among other interesting events which had oc¬ 
curred in the Windward Islands, a meeting, held at 
Teateapau, on the west side of Eimeo, on occasion 
of the opening of a large place of worship, appears 
to deserve particular attention. The building had 
formerly been a place of resort for the Arreoy 
Society, in which they carried on their wicked and 
abominable practices. Public meetings were also 
held in it, on which occasions political affairs were 
transacted, attended by the most superstitious rites, 
and the offering up of human sacrifices. It was 
now dedicated to a far different purpose. The con¬ 
gregation, which amounted to not less than 3000 
persons, made a very respectable appearance,* the 
people being well dressed, especially the females, 
many of whom were attired according to the English 
fashion. Mr. Nott preached on the occasion, from 
Isaiah, chap lxvi. ver. 1 and 2. “Thus saith the 
Lord, the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my 
footstool, &c.” Suitable Taheitean hymns were 
sung, and prayers offered up,* all appeared attentive, 
and during the whole service the utmost decorum 
prevailed throughout this numerous assembly. 

“At Huaheine the natives at first showed little de¬ 
sire to receive instruction. A change, however, 
subsequently took place, and they bad begun to as- 


APPENDIX. 


189 


seinble for the purpose of learning to read and write,* 
in a large house, appropriated as a school-room to 
the amount of several hundreds. Among these were 
many natives from the neighboring islands, who 
would after a time return, and, as is their custom, 
teach others to read, and disseminate the knowledge 
they shall have acquired among their country¬ 
men. Indeed, each mission school is compared by 
the brethren to a fountain, and the natives taught 
therein to so many small streams branching from it, 
and diffusing knowledge in every direction. 

Of the remaining 1000 copies of St. Luke’s 
Gospel, 900 have been distributed among the natives 
of the Leeward Islands; and of those among them 
who were able to read, 290 had been taught during 
the time they had attended the school at Huaheine. 
Besides these, a considerable number had learned to 
read in the Windward Islands, where they had re¬ 
sided some years previously to the last war.f The 
attendance on the religious services was good, and 
the place of public worship, near the residence of 
the Missionaries, proved far too small for the con¬ 
gregation. 

Puru, the King of Huaheine, having been at 
Eimeo when the Taheitean Auxiliary Society was 
formed, proposed, on the arrival of the Missionaries, 
the formation of a similar Institution among his 
people, to be called the‘Huaheine Auxiliary Mission¬ 
ary Society.’ A general meeting of thejiativos was 


* Many also learn arithmetic. 

f In the year 1809, Tapa, the King of Raiatea, with several other 
chiefs of the Leeward Islands, passed over to Eimeo, accompanied by 
many hundreds of the natives, in order to assist Pomarre in his at¬ 
tempts to regaiu the sovereignty, of which he had been deprived the 
preceding year, by an insurrection of his own subjects in Otaheite. 
A great proportion of these people remained in the Windward 
Islands for some considerable time after the restoration of Pomarre, 
which took place in 1811; and many of them had thus an opportunity 
of being instructed by the Missionaries. 

16 


190 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


accordingly held for this purpose at Appui, and one 
of them, who had formerly been chief priest, deliver¬ 
ed an appropriate speech on the occasion. 

The Missionaries at Iluaheine had engaged in 
the planting of cotton a number of the natives, whose 
great inducement to labor was, that they might be 
furnished with the means of subscribing to the 
Auxiliary Society. 

After stating that the translation and publication 
of the Scriptures was going forward, and that one 
of the missionaries, Mr. Hayward, had returned to 
England, principally for the sake of conferring with 
the Directors on the concerns of the mission, the 
Report proceeds thus: 

It is with no ordinary emotions of pleasure that 
the Directors proceed to state to this meeting, that 
the communications of Mr. Hayward fully confirm 
all the important particulars which had previously 
been received, respecting the happy change effected 
in the islands. For these particulars they refer to 
the Report of the Society for last year, in which 
they are distinctly enumerated. In addition to what 
is there stated, they are now able to add, that sick 
and aged persons, who w ere formerly considered as 
a burden, and almost totally neglected, often held in 
contempt, and sometimes buried before life had ex¬ 
pired, by their own relatives and friends, now re¬ 
ceive from them the most humane and kind atten¬ 
tions. And not only is a species of domestic inter¬ 
course established, which was formerly unknown in 
the islands, but the members of the same family, 
generally speaking, dwell together in peace and har¬ 
mony. The female, instead of being merely the 
slave of the man, is now raised to a level with him, 
as his companion. Concubinage, which, among tlie 
chief men in the islands, was common prior to the 
introduction of Christianity, is now unknown; and 


APPENDIX. 


191 


although formal marriages in relation to the natives 
at large, in many instances, do not take place, yet 
the principle of the marriage union is strictly and 
almost universally observed. And not only has the 
horrid practice of infanticide entirely ceased, hut 
even mothers, who once destroyed their infants, now 
manifest towards their subsequent offspring a re¬ 
markable degree of tenderness and affection; and 
some of them deeply lament the loss of their little 
ones, who formerly fell a sacrifice to this cruel and 
relentless custom. 

Among the moral changes which have been 
effected, none are perhaps more striking than the 
following:—Prior to the introduction of Christianity, 
it was common for the women to flock on hoard the 
merchant vessels, that occasionally touch at the 
islands, with very criminal intentions. The Direc¬ 
tors are happy to state, that this custom has not only 
ceased, but is now considered, by the females in 
general, as highly disreputable* Another instance 
to which they beg leave to refer, as strikingly de¬ 
monstrative of the importance of the change that has 
been accomplished, relates to the former sports or 
amusements of the natives. In the last Report the 
suppression of these is alluded to, and they are 
there characterized as merely “vain and pernicious;’* 
but they were also indecent in a very high degree, 
and led to evils of still greater enormity. These 
sports were frequent, and spread, as it were, from 
time to time, a moral infection through the great 
mass of the population; and being consecrated by 
immemorial usage, and constituting some of their 
highest gratifications, appeared to form a chain 
which nothing less than Almighty power could break 
in pieces. This chain, however, is now utterly de¬ 
stroyed; the practice is totally at an end; and 
among the various remarkable changes which have 
occurred in the islands, not one has appeared so 


192 


MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILSON. 


astonishing to the elder Missionaries (and indeed of 
the change generally, the recently arrived brethren 
can form, from observation, little or no idea) as the 
entire cessation of these fascinating and abominable 
amusements. 

There are two other circumstances connected 
with the former idolatry and superstitions of the 
islanders, which appear to the Directors to be of 
sufficient importance to occupy a place in their Re¬ 
port. When any extensive calamity occurred, 
several of the natives were sacrificed, to appease 
the supposed wrath of their gods. At the instance 
of the priests, the King sent off messengers in 
various directions, who were commissioned to enter 
the peaceful dwellings of individuals previously 
marked out for sacrifice, not unfrequently at the in¬ 
stigation of private revenge. It sometimes happen¬ 
ed, that the messenger entered as a friend, and was 
hospitably entertained as such, until, seizing his 
opportunity, he struck his generous host with a 
sharp stone on the back of his head, who instantly 
fell to the ground a lifeless corpse. The relations 
of the murdered person instantly fled with conster¬ 
nation and terror, whilst his body was carried as 
a sacrifice to the Morai.* The second instance re¬ 
lates to the pretended sorceries practised by Pomarre 
and others. Tiiese incantations were a source of 
perpetual and dreadful misery to the people, who 
imagined that, by these means, diseases and death 

* Sometimes the victim was immediately killed on the spot. A 
remarkable instance of this occurred in the year 1802, when Otoo 
(the present Pomarre) forcibly seized the god Oro, which belonged 
to the people of Attahuru. Being impressed with an apprehension 
that the resentment of the god would soon be manifested in th® in¬ 
fliction of some dreadful evils on himself and people, he cs.jsed a man 
to be instantly killed, and offered as a sacrifice to appease his sup¬ 
posed anger. Oro was esteemed their supreme divinity, and it was 
presumed that the district which possessed the idol, was under his 
more special protection and favor. Hence the capture of the idol by 
Otoo and his people. 


APPENDIX. 


193 


could at any time be inflicted by the sorcerer. The 
horrid apprehensions which were hereby excited in 
the minds of the natives, and the many unjust ex¬ 
actions which were thus enforced, contrary to their 
will, it is impossible to describe or enumerate. 
But these evils also have now utterly ceased. 

There can be no doubt that the present meeting 
will warmly participate in the lively satisfaction 
with which the Directors have communicated these 
gratifying details, and that the Society at large will 
consider them, especially when viewed in connexion 
with other communications, as presenting a rich 
compensation for all the expense, trouble, and anx¬ 
iety, which has attended the prosecution of this in¬ 
teresting mission. 

Among the means to which, in a due dependence 
on Divine Providence, it may be proper to resort, 
in order to perpetuate and extend the various advan¬ 
tages already imparted to the islanders, they consid¬ 
er a Deputation, consisting of two or three respec¬ 
table and well qualified individuals, as one of primary 
and urgent importance. At the last anniversary, 
the attention of the Society was drawn to this sub¬ 
ject. The communications subsequently received by 
the Directors appear to them to confirm the necessi¬ 
ty of the measure, and they deeply regret that dur¬ 
ing the past year they have not been able to carry 
it into execution. Their intentions, however, have 
been made more generally known to the members of 
the Society, not only through the medium of the an¬ 
nual Report, but by means of the Missionary Chron¬ 
icle, and a private Circular, addressed to such of the 
Directors and friends of the Society, resident in the 
country, as were considered to be best situated 
for prosecuting the requisite inquiries. These means 
have not been entirely without effect. Applications 
have been received from several respectable individ¬ 
uals, some of which are still pending. 

*16 


194 


MEMOIR OF POMARRE. 


Deeply impressed as the Directors are with the 
great importance of this object, they cannot refrain 
from expressing an earnest hope, that before the 
close of the present year, a Deputation in every re¬ 
spect adapted to this important service, will have 
taken their departure from England, for the islands 
of the South Seas. 


SOME ACCOUNT OF POMARRE, 

KING OF OTAHEITE. 

The present Pomarre, whose portrait is prefixed 
to this work, is not the same visited by Captain W il¬ 
son, but his son, who was then called Otoo, as his 
father had also been before he succeeded to the 
sovereignty. 

The elder Pomarre was removed by the sudden 
stroke of death, September 3, 1803, when the govern¬ 
ment devolved upon the present king, who from that 
time has appeared more friendly to the missionaries 
and their cause, than from some former circum¬ 
stances had been expected. Before this event, he 
had for some considerable time resided in Eimeo; 
but on his return to Otaheite, he took up his'residence 
near the mission-house at Matavai. In one or other 
of the apartments of the brethren he would fre¬ 
quently spend nearly the whole of the day, amusing 
himself with writing, in which he had then (1806) 
made considerable progress. His behavior was now 
very kind, and even generous, towards the brethren; 
but hitherto he showed no inclination to embrace 
Christianity, or even to receive any religious in¬ 
struction whatsoever; and when the subject was in¬ 
troduced, either in conversation or in writing, he 
Artfully contrived to put it off. In the month of 


APPENDIX. 


195 


August 1806 , Pomarre lost his first queen, Te- 
tua. 

In the following year, he wrote his first letter to 
the Directors, dated January 1807 , from which it 
appears that his prejudices against Christianity were 
in some measure abated; at least, that a degree of 
conviction was produced on his mind. This letter, 
which was composed entirely by himself, began thus: 
“I wish you every blessing, friends, in your resi¬ 
dence in your country, with success in teaching this 
bad land, this foolish land, this land which is igno¬ 
rant of good; this land that knoweth not the true 
God, this regardless land. Friends, I wish you 
health and prosperity: may I also live, and may 
Jehovah save us.” 

In 1808 , Pomarre was involved in war with a par¬ 
ty of his subjects, who attempted to deprive him of 
his authority. On this occasion, the houses, gar¬ 
dens, &c. of the Missionaries were destroyed; and 
they, as well as Pomarre, were compelled to flee 
from Otaheite to the neighboring islands. In the 
following year, as there seemed no prospect of the 
king regaining his authority, all the brethren, ex¬ 
cept Messrs. Hayward and Nott, repaired to New 
South Wales, w hence, how ever, five of them return¬ 
ed in 1811 , at the earnest request of Pomarre, whose 
authority was then re-established. The king now 
discovered towards the Missionaries an increasing 
partiality, and appeared happy only when in their 
company. In July 1812 , he declared to them his 
conviction of the truth of Christianity, and his de¬ 
termination, in future, to worship Jehovah. He also 
expressed deep repentance on account of his past 
wickedness, cast away his idols, endeavored to per¬ 
suade his relations to embrace the Christian reli¬ 
gion, and proposed to the Missionaries to build, 
w ithout delay, a place of worship for the true God. 


196 


MEMOIR OF POMARRE. 


In the year 1814, the number of the natives (in¬ 
cluding some of the chiefs,) who had renounced 
idolatry, and professedly embraced Christianity, 
amounted to fifty; and from this time the number 
rapidly increased, until, in the following year, it 
amounted to about 500. Some of the idolatrous 
chiefs of Otaheite, exasperated at the progress of 
the new religion, formed the horrid design of de¬ 
stroying the Christians, root and branch; but, pro¬ 
videntially, the latter, receiving timely information 
thereof, took refuge in Eiineo. In this island, Po- 
marre then (July 1815) resided; and, at length, hav¬ 
ing ascertained that there was no hostility on the 
part of the chiefs against him, he went over to Ota¬ 
heite, taking the refugees under his protection. On 
the 19th of November, however, while engaged in 
public worship, the Christians were furiously as¬ 
saulted by the idolaters, and an obstinate engage¬ 
ment ensued, in which Pomarre obtained a complete 
victory. The unexampled lenity and clemency with 
which the king treated the conquered and their 
families, on this occasion, produced the most favor¬ 
able effect on the minds of the idolaters, who unani¬ 
mously resolved to embrace Christianity, and trust 
their gods no longer. The king was now, by uni¬ 
versal consent, restored to the government, in which 
he has not since been, in the slightest degree, dis¬ 
turbed. 

Subsequently to this period, Pomarre has shown 
himself, on all occasions, the friend of Christianity, 
and of the Missionaries; and has joined hand in 
hand with them, in such measures as appeared likely 
to promote the destruction of idolatry, and the dis¬ 
semination of the Christian religion among the isl¬ 
anders. He has also taken a great interest in the 
business of the printing office. On the 10th of June 
1817, he came over to Eimeo, on occasion of the 
first composing for the press; and, under the direc- 


APPENDIX. 


197 


tion of the Missionaries, he himself composed the 
alphabet at the beginning of the Taheitean Spelling 
Hook, which was the first process of the kind ever 
performed in bis dominions. 

In the following month, he wrote letters to the 
ltev. Samuel Marsden, of New South Wales, and 
some of the brethren, who left the islands in 1809, 
and had settled in that colony. In that to Mr. 
Marsden, he says, ‘‘Health and prosperity to you, 
and also to your family; and the salvation of Jesus 
Christ, who is the true Savior, by whom we can 
be saved. The word of God has taken great root 
here at Taheite, and also verily at Raiatea, and in 
the other islands; the word of the true God is gene¬ 
rally believed; he himself caused his word to take 
root, and therefore it succeeds in these countries. 
From ancient times, these countries were perpetually 
enveloped in gross darkness, but at this present time 
they are illuminated; by Jehovah himself the light 
was communicated, consequently they are enlight¬ 
ened, and are brought to know and receive the ex¬ 
cellent ‘word; the Lord himself graciously sent 
to us his word, therefore it is that we are now in¬ 
structed. The idols of these countries are wholly 
abolished; they are burned in the fire; also are abol¬ 
ished the various customs connected with them; 
they are totally cast away by the people. All this 
has been effected only by the word of God.” 

Ou the 6th of December, in the same year (1817) 
a vessel, of about 70 tons burden, which had been 
built by the missionaries, was launched at Oponohu 
harbor, in Eimeo. On this occasion, Pomarre per¬ 
formed the usual ceremonies; and, as he passed 
along, pronounced the words, “Taorana Haweis ” 
(i. e. “Prosperity be to the Haweis.”) It was the 
particular wish of Pomarre, that the vessel should 
be called after the late Dr. Haweis, as he had shown 
himself a distinguished friend of the Otaheiteans. 


198 


MEMOIR OF POM A.RRE* 


On the 15th of May, 1818, a general meeting of 
the natives vvas held in Eimeo, when it was agreed 
to form a “Taheitean Auxiliary Missionary Soci¬ 
ety,’’ in aid of the parent Society in England, of 
which a very full account was given in our Magazine 
for August last. 

Poinarre is about six feet in height, and propor- 
tionably stout, but stoops, and has rather a heavy 
appearance. He is about forty five years of age. 
There is something morose in the ordinary aspect of 
his countenance, but this disappears the moment he 
enters into conversation. His voice is soft and agree¬ 
able; his address prepossessing; his manners easy 
and affable; and his disposition kind, generous, and 
forgiving. lie spends much of his time in making 
tours through the different parts of his dominions, 
accompanied by numerous attendants. When in 
his house, he sits on a mat, which is laid over grass, 
previously spread on the floor. He writes a great 
number of letters, keeps a journal, and is compiling 
a vocabulary of his own language. His posture, 
when writing, is to lie at full length on the ground. 
He is very inferior to his father in energy of charac¬ 
ter; and displays little of his disposition to promote 
improvements, either in the erection of habitations, or 
in the cultivation of the ground. 

Pomarre has living one daughter (Aimata) by his 
second queen, Tarutaria. To his present queen, 
Tane, who is the daughter of Tapa, king of Raiatea, 
and who is his third wife, he w as married in 1814. 


APPENDIX. 


199 


DIVINE INFLUENCES 

NECESSARY TO THE SUCCESS OF MISSIONARY EXERTIONS.* 

Addressed to the Friends of Missionary, Bible , and 
other societies , then about to celebrate their several 
anniversaries . 

Brethren, 

It is with indescribable pleasure that I have witness¬ 
ed, during the last five and twenty years, the com¬ 
mencement and progress of various societies for 
the propagation of the Gospel, which are now about 
to re-assemble in the metropolis; and numerous as 
may be the multitudes there collected, still more 
will be present in spirit, though “absent in body,” 
praying for their success, and longing to hear of their 
proceedings. 

In all great undertakings, some leading object 
must be proposed—public attention excited—suitable 
agents selected—and necessary funds provided. 
This has all been done: a vast machinery is prepar¬ 
ed, and already in motion; but a more powerful di¬ 
vine afflatus is wanted, to give greater rapidity to 
the motion, and greater energy to the effect. 

In attending the religious services of the last May, 
I observed an evident conviction of this. Many of 
the preachers and speakers urged to more earnest 
prayer for the out-pouring of the divine Spirit; many 
of the prayers were particularly directed to this ob¬ 
ject; and it is not by way of censure, that I would 
now attempt to renew and reanimate the impression; 
or, as the Apostle says, “to stir up your pure minds 
by way of remembrance,” on this important subject. 


* Extracted from the Evangelical Magazine for May, 1821. 


200 


APPENDIX. 


A few simple propositions, chiefly founded upon 
fact, and which require no elaborate proof, and but 
little amplification in illustrating, may place the 
leading object of this address on a firm and scrip¬ 
tural basis, and shew the absolute necessity of divine 
influence—of an extraodinary divine influence to 
missionary exertions. 

1. Let it be recollected, that the Gospel dispen¬ 
sation was previously described by the prophets as a 
dispensation of the spirit. “Thus saith the Lord,” 
by the prophet Isaiah, (ch. xiiv, S—5.) “I will 
pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon 
the dry ground: 1 will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, 
and my blessing upon thine offspring. And they 
shall spring up as among the grass,* as willows by 
the water courses. One shall say, L am the Lord’s; 
and another shall call himself by the name of Ja¬ 
cob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto 
the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Isra¬ 
el.” Here are both the cause and the effect: the 
cause—the out-pouring of the divine Spirit, as a 
mountain flood poured down upon the parched plains, 
and turning them (for a time) into marshy grounds; 
the effect is—that the children of the church spring 
up like plants and trees, striking their roots into the 
fertilizing waters: or, to change the figure, they 
spring up like an army called together by proclama¬ 
tion. The cry is, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” 
One replies, “I am the Lord’s;” and another and 
another run to enrol their names. Thus it was pre¬ 
dicted by the Psalmist (Ps. cx, 3.) “Thy people 
shall be willing (or volunteers) in the day of thy 

* Bp. Lowth, on the authority of a few MSS. alters the text here, 
“Spring up as the grass among the -waters” but this is unnecessary. 
Perhaps the word plants should be understood—“as (plants) among 
the grass,” or in marshy places; for, as Sir John Chardin says, “water 
makes every thing to grow' in the east.” The contrast of this is to be 
found in ch. liii, 2 “as a tender, (a weak) plant, as a root out of a dry 
ground.” 


APPENDIX. 


201 


power, in the beauties of holiness:” and they are 
compared for numbers to the drops of morning dew.* 
But the prophecy of Joel (eh. ii, 28.) is more ex¬ 
press and particular: “I will pour out my Spirit up¬ 
on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall 
prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your 
young men shall see visions: and also upon the ser¬ 
vants and upon the handmaids in those days will I 
pour out my Spirit.” This prophecy is more ex¬ 
press, a3 referring immediately and distinctly to the 
Gentiles, who are certainly included in “all flesh;” 
as we shall see the text presently explained by an 
inspired authority. But has not this passage a more 
latent sense? “Servants and handmaids,” in the 
language of those days, meant male and female 
slaves: and may it not, without violence, be inter¬ 
preted with a happy aspect to the conversion of ne¬ 
groes, Hottentots, &c. ? “All flesh” will include men 
of every color, white or red, and brown or black; 
and, in the full completion of the prophecy, shall not 
the effusion of the Spirit be poured out on bond as 
well as free? Let us then pray and sing. 

“Let the Indian, and the negro, 

Let the rude barbarian see 
That divine and glorious conquest 
Once obtained on Calvary.” 

2. Our Lord expressly directed his apostles to 
“tarry at Jerusalem,” till they were thus “endued 
by the Spirit from on high.” And why at Jerusa¬ 
lem? Because now men of all nations were there 
collected. And how were they to wait? The sense 
in which they understood the order may be fairly in¬ 
ferred from their conduct on this occasion. On the 
first day of the week they continued to meet togeth- 

* There is some difficulty in this passage, (on which see Lowth’s Lec¬ 
tures, by Gregory, vol. i, p. 217.) But perhaps the rising of a young 
army of volunteers is the leading idea to be kept in view. 

1 7 


202 


APPENDIX. 


er, and ‘‘break bread;” and we cannot doubt, that, at 
these seasons of holy communion, they prayed ear¬ 
nestly for the fulfilment of the promise: and, with 
the same view, on the day of Pentecost, “they were 
all with one accord in one place.” Waiting is only a 
Christian duty, when it is accompanied with prayer: 
those who wait for the salvation of God, will surely 
pray for it. Nor is this left to inference. The sa¬ 
cred historian says of the Apostles, (Acts i, 14.) 
“These all continued with one accord in prayer and 
supplication with the women, and Mary the mother 
of Jesus, and with his brethren.” 

3. While the apostles and disciples were thus 
waiting and praying, the Spirit was poured upon 
them from on high. It is observable, that this hap¬ 
pened at “the third hour of the day,” answering to 
9 o’clock with us, and the time of offering up the 
morning sacrifice. Their meeting was probably 
within the precincts of the temple,* and in some part 
where the Gentile proselytes could be admitted: for it 
was open to the access of persons from all nations, 
who, upon hearing that the apostles spake in strange 
tongues, flocked in—some to admire and adore, and 
others to ridicule and blaspheme. It admits of 
some doubt whether this day of Pentecost was on the 
Jewish or the Christian Sabbath; but it was certainly 
on one of them. And thus we find, that it was in 
waiting upon God in his appointed means, and at his 
appointed time, that the blessing was conferred— 


The “blessed unction from above, 

The “comfort, life, and fire, of love!’* 

This extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit 
was in several ways contributory to the great work 

*The meeting mentioned in the preceding chapter, was in “a large 
upper room,” (ver. 13;) but it is by no means certain that this was in 
the same place, nor on that supposition can we easily account for the 
liocking in of strangers. 


APPENDIX. 


£03 


of propagating the Gospel. (1.) By qualifying the 
Apostles as missionaries to go forth into all the 
world. (2.) As exciting a great public attention to 
their labors; for “this thing was not done in a cor¬ 
ner.^ (3.) As it stirred up a spirit of devotion and 
prayer among the disciples in general. (4.) As it 
was the means of converting many to the faith, even 
3000 at one time. (5.) As it occasioned persecu¬ 
tion from their enemies, which eventually scattered 
them in the world. For it is remarkable that, after 
receiving a commission to go into all the world, and 
being miraculously qualified for the work, they yet 
stirred not from Judea, till they were driven from it 
by persecution. It was not till the Jews had scornfully 
put the Gospel from them, that Paul and Barnabas 
said, “Lo we turn to the Gentiles.” (Acts xiii, 46.) 

4. St. Peter himself (Acts ii, 16,) &c. explains 
this event as the fulfilment of prophecy, and, in par¬ 
ticular, of the remarkable one last quoted—“This 
is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. And 
it shall come to pass in the last (or latter) days, 
(said God,) 1 will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,” 
&c.; and this exposition furnishes us with a sufficient 
warrant for us, to apply the like prophecies to Gospel 
times and circumstances. But this Apostle quotes 
the prophecy farther than we have yet done: “And 1 
will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the 
earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor (or pillars) 
of smoke: and the sun shall be turned into darkness, 
and the moon into blood, before that great and nota¬ 
ble day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, 
that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord 
shall be saved.” Many commentators apply this 
part of the prophecy to the destruction of Jerusalem; 
but as Maimonides justly observes, “Any day in 
which God sends any singular or extraordinary pun¬ 
ishment, is called the great and terrible day of the 
Lord;” so, instead of restricting the prediction to 


204 


APPENDIX. 


any one event, I would rather offer a general obser¬ 
vation—that great revivals in religion often (per¬ 
haps generally) take place amidst the greatest ex¬ 
ternal calamities. Jehovah shakes the earth to its 
centre with his thunders when he appears for 
the salvation of his people. A great part of 
the hook of the Revelation of St. John might he 
quoted to prove and illustate this remark—but I 
must forbear. It may, however, help to encourage 
and support us under national alarms, to reflect, 
that none of these things can interrupt, or delay the 
progress of his kingdom, “who rides in the whirl¬ 
wind and directs the storm.” 

5 . I proceed to remark, that all the extensive 
conversions , or great revivals 9 which have taken place 
in religion at various times, have proceeded from an 
out-pouring of the divine Spirit, and by the instru¬ 
mentality of men “baptized with the spirit, and with 
lire.” To instance, in the Reformation from popery: 
Luther was, for example, a burning star, whose 
flame was kindled from the skies; and how much he, 
and his brother Reformers, looked to divine illumi¬ 
nation for assistance and direction, must be well 
known to all acquainted with the writings of that 
age. The best proof of the same spirit and princi¬ 
ple in our English Reformers is to be found in the 
devotional formulae of the church service. Many 
parts of the liturgy, the communion service, and espe¬ 
cially the Collects , arc deeply imbued with this unc¬ 
tion from on high; several of the Articles of religion 
express, or imply, the same truth: hut nothing can 
be more full and explicit on this subject than are the 
Homilies of the established Church, especially that 
for Whitsunday, wherein, (part 2.) it is said “Neither 
must we think that this Comforter w r as either prom¬ 
ised, or else given, only to the Apostles; hut also to 
the universal church of Christ, dispersed through the 
world. For unless the Holy Ghost had been always 


APPENDIX. 


205 


present, governing and preserving the church from 
the beginning, it could never have sustained so many 
and great brunts of affliction and persecution, with so 
little damage as it hath.” And the same Homily 
concludes with a prayer that the Lord would, “of his 
great mercy, so work in all men’s hearts, by the 
mighty power of the Holy Ghost , that the comfortable 
Gospel of his Son Christ may be truly preached, truly 
received , and truly followed, in all places,” &c. In¬ 
numerable passages might be quoted from the same 
authority, and to the same effect. And whether we 
look to the “Fathers of the English church,” or to 
those great and holy men who were the instruments 
of reviving religion abroad, as Arndt, Spener, and 
Professor Franck; or to the most active and pious of 
the nonconformists, as Owen, Baxter, Howe, &c. we 
shall find that they “all with one consent” looked to 
the influences of the Holy Spirit, both for assistance 
and success. In that remarkable revival of religion, 
which took place in the middle of the last century, by 
means of the Messrs. Whiteficld, Wesley, and their 
coadjutors, so entirely was the work referred to the 
agency of the Spirit of God, that it became their re¬ 
proach, and exposed them to ridicule and persecu¬ 
tion. So remarkable was the energy with which Mr. 
Whitefield, in particular, implored divine influen¬ 
ces, that it appeared as if he had seen “heaven open¬ 
ed,” and was in immediate communication with the 
invisible world—-and so indeed it was. 

True religion knows of no locality, but is the 
same in every age and in every clime. If we follow 
it across the Atlantic, we find the same preaching 
attended with the same power and success. Follow 
it to the back settlements of America, and you will 
hear the holy missionaries, Elliot, Brainerd, and 
many others, “pouring out their souls” to implore 
the blessing of the Holy Spirit; and, at particular 
seasons, you will find an extraordinary effusion of 

#17 


APPENDIX. 


£00 

the Spirit given in answer to their prayers. Tn 
short, wherever missionaries have gone, whether to 
the burning sands of the east, or the frozen moun¬ 
tains of the north, they have more or Jess reJicd upon 
Divine assistance—their success lias generally borne 
a proportion to that reliance; and, when they have 
succeeded in the conversion of the heathen, the glory 
has been uniformly ascribed to the agency of the Holy 
Ghost. In Otabeite, long was this influence waited 
for, and the religious world was almost in despair, 
when, lo! “a nation w^as born in a day.” In Ben¬ 
gal, long was the faith and patience of the first 
Missionaries tried before caste was broken: but the 
time was not lost; the Scriptures were preparing in 
the language of the natives; and the Spirit, accom¬ 
panying the word, has already wrought wonders— 
the earnest of what we hope and pray for. 

6. There is every reason to believe that the Mil¬ 
lennium itself will be introduced by an extraordi¬ 
nary effusion of the Spirit of God—perhaps more 
extensive and more glorious than that of “the day 
of Pentecost” itself, though not attended with the 
gift of miracles. For some centuries, I believe, 
Christians have quieted their consciences with 
supposing, that nothing considerable could be 
done for the heathen without the miraculous gift 
of tongues; but it is now found that all the 
tongues under heaven may be acquired without a 
miracle. The Sungskrit and the Chinese, so long 
thought unattainable, are now acquired with little 
more difficulty than it has often cost to learn the 
Greek and Latin. The Scriptures are already 
translated into nearly one hundred and thirty lan¬ 
guages or dialects—perhaps even more. The only 
tiling now wanted (as a learned and venerable advo¬ 
cate for Missions has expressed it,) is “a most abun¬ 
dant effusion of the Holy Spirit,” to “precede and 
to produce the Millennium;” and this, as the same 


APPENDIX. 


207 


writer has shown, is clearly and abundantly prom¬ 
ised. I will only cite the passage on which he 
grounds this proposition. “Until the Spirit be 
poured out from on high, and the wilderness be a 
fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a 
forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilder¬ 
ness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. 
And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and 
the effect of righteousness, quietness, and assurance, 
for ever.” 

Is it asked, how the effusion of the Spirit will 
produce this change? the answer arises from his 
several distinctive characters. He is a “Spirit of 
knowledge and understanding,” and will instruct 
mankind in the knowledge of their best interests, 
both as to this world, and the world to come. He 
is a “Spirit of Peace;” and will calm the angry 
passions of the nations, however agitated w ith po¬ 
litical tempests: and “the nations shall learn war 
no more.” He is a “Spirit of Holiness;” and his 
influences will produce such a state of moral purity, 
as the world has not yet seen. We have, indeed, 
seen the aspect of a village or a town changed by 
the introduction of the Gospel, and the establishment 
of schools. We have seen nations improved by the 
same means; and, as the work spreads and reaches 
the higher classes, the influence must proportiona- 
bly increase. Vice will be suppressed—religion en¬ 
couraged—the rights of conscience respected—the 
Gospel propagated through all nations, till the earth 
shall be filled with the “knowledge and glory of the 
Lord, even as the waters cover the (bottom of the) 
sea.” 

But lastly, the great point in every discourse is 
the application: and what is the proper application 
of this subject?—“Let us pray”—let us pray for 
this effusion of the Holy Ghost— 


208 


APPENDIX. 


1. For tlie formation and qualification of Mis¬ 
sionaries. When the Lord makes proclamation, 
“Whom shall 1 send? and who will go for us?” it is 
the Spirit that must enkindle a flame of zeal and 
piety in the bosom, that shall induce the Missionary 
to say, “Here am I—send me.” 

2. “Let us pray”—for wisdom and prudence to 
those who have the direction of Missionary concerns 
at home. The Spirit of God is “a Spirit of wis¬ 
dom”—of “wisdom that is profitable to direct.” 
He can give the discernment of spirits, to judge of 
suitable agents for the work—prudence to regulate 
the expenditure of these vast concerns—benevolence 
and zeal to push on the great machinery in action 
with accelerated force, as comets are accelerated in 
their motion as they approach the sun. 

3. “Let us pray”—that “a door may be opened 
to the Gentiles”—an “effectual door:” not to two 
or three nations only, but to all nations. The Brit¬ 
ish conquests in India opened the door to that vast 
continent. The colonization of Africa, and the sup¬ 
pression of the slave trade, when accomplished, will 
open the door to another continent, from which the 
Gospel has been for many centuries excluded. But 
we want to see the door opened to China—to the 
Birman empire, to Turkey, and to the general con¬ 
version of Mahometans and Jews. 

4. “Let us pray”—that a spirit of prayer may be 
poured down upon all Christian churches—on all 
Missionary and Bible Societies—upon all Schools 
for religious instruction—and upon the friends and 
supporters of all Societies, whose object is the me¬ 
lioration of mankind. 

5. “Let us pray—for a spirit of liberality to en¬ 
gage us,—to engage all in the support of these insti¬ 
tutions. Let the war against sin and Satan be carried 
on upon the same grand scale as wars for the destruc¬ 
tion of mankind. Let the Christian w orld rise en 


APPENDIX* 


20 9 

masse. Let every one consider, “What can I do?” 
Some may contribute their personal exertions, either 
as Missionaries abroad, or in forming and attending 
Societies at home. And here, in Christ Jesus, is 
neither male nor female.” Ladies have not only as¬ 
sisted, but have sometimes taken the lead in this 
warfare. They have carried the standard—they 
have enlisted volunteers. Does not the promise say, 
“your sons and your daughters shall prophesy?” 
and that, not in the higher classes only. Does it 
not follow—“upon the servants and the handmaids , 
in those days, will 1 pour out my Spirit?” Have we 
not already female martyrs in the cause? Are there 
not, in different ranks of females, names embalmed 
in all the odors of the Gospel? And those who can 
do nothing else, can, more or less, contribute pecu¬ 
niary support. None are so poor but they can do 
something—none so rich that they can do enough. 
What has been done hitherto has been chiefly from 
tlie mites of widows, of children, and of the poor. 
There have been, however, examples worthy of imi¬ 
tation among the rich. These have “given of their 
abundance;” let others do the same, and engage in the 
cause of Christ, with the same zeal as if it were to 
advance their interests, or promote their pleasures. 
Rich Christians! unlock your unoccupied treasures: 
See that when the Lord cometh he find not your 
“talent in a napkin.” Have you no hundreds or 
thousands to put out to interest on his account, at 
more than cent per cent? He that giveth to support 
the poor—to instruct the ignorant—to convert sin¬ 
ners—“he lendeth to the Lord,” and shall receive 
“an hundred fold in this life, and, in the world to 
come, life everlasting.” 

Finally, let “every man do his duty.” Are not 
the tribes now coming up to mount Sion? to a “gen¬ 
eral assembly” of the churches?—Are not the eyes 
of God, “the judge of all, upon us?” Are not “the 


APPENDIX* 


£10 

spirits of the just made perfect” bending down, as 
it were, from their thrones of light to witness our 
proceedings? Are not the angels gathering with our 
congregations to listen to our deliberations? Let then 
every man do his duty. 


DIVINE PREDICTIONS, 

THE WARRANT AND AUTHORITY FOR MISSIONARY EXERTIONS. 

Arrived once more at the vernal season of the 
year, nature seems to afford fresh themes of praise, 
to inspire us with new hopes, and to require from us 
renewed exertions. And by a well-conceived policy, 
or holy emulation, the Church too has her season of 
Spring; and she also calls upon all who share her 
blessings, and feel interested in her triumphs, to a 
renewal of former pleasures, and to fresh exertions 
of love and of zeal. The spirit of prophecy ap¬ 
pears to be inspiring the Church with new ardor, 
and calls upon her sons and daughters in this ani¬ 
mated language: “Awake! awake! put on thy 
strength; O Zion, put on thy beautiful garments, 6 
Jerusalem, the holy city.” Oh, let us listen to these 
heavenly sounds! let us obey the holy impulse that 
shall bring us all together, in spirit if not iti person, 
to witness and enjoy the solemnities of Zion, which 
are so shortly to engage her attention. 

Suppose then, for personal meditation and mutual 
encouragement, we fix upon such a prediction as 
this:— “Ml nations whom thou hast made , shall come 
and worship before thee , 0 Lord, and shall glorify thy 
name .” Here we may observe, that the Almighty 
Maker of the nations is to be recognised and adored; 
tHeir present condition should be contemplated, the 
certainty of their universal conversion should be 


APPENDIX. 


£11 


believed, and their subsequent obedience should be 
expected. 

Let us recognize and adore the Almighty Maker 
of “all nations.” “He hath made the earth and the 
fulness thereof.” Whatever be the nation or clime 
of which we form a part, we are required to know 
this fact, “that the Lord he is God: it is he that 
hath made us, and not we ourselves, we are his 
people and the sheep of his pasture.” What dis¬ 
plays of wisdom, of omnipotence, of majesty, are here! 
“All nations whom thou hast made; 99 for whether 
they know it or not, they “are all thine offspring.” 
But the universality of his power, who shall under¬ 
stand? 


“Infinite strength, and equal skill, 

Shine through the world abroad. 

Our souls with vast amazement fill, 

And speak the builder—God.” 

Let us glance at the state of “all nations.” A mere 
repetition of their names, or geographical situations, 
would convey no knowledge to the bulk of our 
readers; nor even if I were to give a list of all the 
the different Missionary stations, which is now lying 
before me, would they have perhaps, any new facts 
presented to their attention. It will be sufficient 
therefore for my present purpose to remark, that 
there are few considerable nations known to Euro¬ 
pean travellers, that are not in a state of spiritual 
instruction, either through the medium of the Bible 
or Missionary Societies. And even the more remote 
nations and tribes in the interior of Hindostan, 
Persia, China, Africa, and America, are becoming 
the daily objects of benevolent attention or exertion. 
This seems indeed like the dawn of that blessed pe¬ 
riod, when “the Lord God will cause righteousness 
and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” 
But it is chiefly to the fallen , the miserable condition 


212 


APPENDIX. 


of all nations, to which I would direct the Christian 
reader’s benevolent consideration. What countless 
and unknown tribes,—what prodigious multitudes 
are there who know not the God whom we adore, who 
are ignorant of the Savior whom we love, and who 
are destitute of the Spirit who “guides our feet into 
the way of peace,” and finally secures our salvation! 

If we take a correct, a moral, and scriptural sur¬ 
vey of the nations, it cannot fail to he an affecting 
one; for though we rejoice in all that has been done, 
and anticipate yet greater exertions year after year, 
we cannot, we ought not to be satisfied. The moral 
picture, though luminous in some favored points, is 
still gloomy and dark—it is still overspread with 
“the shadows of death. 5 ’ “For behold the darkness 
that covers the earth, and gross darkness the people! 
The dark places of the earth are full of the habita¬ 
tions of cruelty!” 

But the Spirit of prophecy in the text, cheers us 
with a brilliant though distant prospect—the certain 
conversion of all nations. “All nations shall come 
and worship before thee , 0 Lord." With this devout 
feeling, this benevolent anticipation, did the Psalm¬ 
ist address the Lord Jehovah,—“the God of the 
whole earth.” And we have from this and similar 
portions of the divine word, not merely a guide or 
an encouragement to our devotions, sufficient to 
justify our ardor and perseverance; but we hence 
learn to form our plans, to unite our energies, and to 
calculate our immediate and final success in this 
great cause. All nations shall come happily invited 
and enlightened, willingly, gradually, or consenta¬ 
neously shall they come; and w hen awakened and 
made willing to come, it will be for no object short 
of the sublime purpose of w orshipping God. They 
shall “worship before thee” in thy presence, “O 
Lord.” They shall worship the Father “in spirit 
and in truth.” The Spirit and the Truth shall 


APPENDIX. 


213 


guide them, assist and influence them in ail then* 
devotions. How interesting, how delightful this 
concurrence of all nations! “O thou that hearest 
prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.” Joyful period 
indeed! when tiie whole earth shall submit to her 
natural and universal Lord. “And the Lord shall 
be king over all the earth; in that day shall there 
be one Lord, and his name One. Then shall the 
earth yield her increase, and God, even our own 
God, shall bless us. God shall bless us, and all the 
ends of the earth shall fear him.” Behold then the 
triumph of the saints, in the happy, the universal 
conversion of the world! 

The grateful and subsequent obedience of all 
nations is to succeed their conversion; “and they 
shall glorify thy name.” The name or perfections 
of God, will be the one supreme object of hope, of 
confidence, of joy, throughout the earth. Then the 
universal theme will be—“We will rejoice in thy 
salvation; and in the name of our God we will set 
up our banners.” Then shall another declaration 
be gloriously realized—“In thy name shall they re¬ 
joice all the day; and in thy righteousness shall they 
be exalted.” 

God is glorified by the faith, and trust, and love 
of his people; by their professed subjection unto the 
gospel of Christ; by every act of worship they per¬ 
form; by every act of good-will to their fellow-men, 
their “liberal distribution unto all men;” and by 
every proof of obedience, in which “the exceeding 
grace of God” appears in them. This promotion of 
the divine glory, even on a limited scale, is most 
cheering, most interesting. But what will it be in 
its brightest and most extensive exercise! In the 
contemplation of such a scene, the Psalmist requires 
and expects the concurrence of heaven and earth, of 
tilings animate and inanimate; and he calls upon all 
ranks and classes to unite in the celebration of God’s 
IB 


214 


APPENDIX. 


glory; “Kings of the earth and all people; princes, 
and all judges of the earth, both young men and 
maidens, old men and children, let them praise the 
name of the Lord, for his name alone is excellent; 
his glory is above the earth and heavens.” 

The writer begs leave to ask, whether the predic¬ 
tion now under review, is not fulfilling at the present 
time, in a manner never known, never witnessed 
before? N 

How can we understand the easy access that we 
obtain to most of the heathen nations, their willing¬ 
ness to be taught, their importunate desire for books 
and instructors, or the ready manner in which some 
of the untutored tribes have received the gospel, and 
have lived conformably to its precepts; how can we 
understand these auspicious tokens otherwise, than 
as proofs of the fulfilling of Scripture, respecting 
the universal diffusion of the gospel of peace? 

We may learn much Christian forbearance and 
good-will towards every agent employed in advan¬ 
cing this great cause. The peculiar weaknesses, 
the prejudices, and sometimes the unhallowed pas¬ 
sions of men may appear; and Christian societies, 
though possessing much wisdom and zeal as a body , 
may yet occasionally give proof of a self-humbling 
reflection, that they are “men of like passions with 
ourselves-” But it is the missionary cause which 
should guide and influence us in our exertions; as to 
its agents , at least in many of their plans and labors, 
we must leate them where we find them, commend¬ 
ing them however to the grace of God. 

What motives to fervent prayer—to mutual love 
—to united exertion—to self-denial—to greater 
liberality—does this passage afford! The nations, 
all nations, are coming, actually coming, to worship 
and glorify the name of our God. Can we then re¬ 
fuse to make sacrifices, many sacrifices, “to make 
ready a people prepared for the Lord?” Let not 


APPENDIX* 


215 


trifling or selfish objections keep us away from “the 
great congregations,” that are shortly to assemble 
for Missionary purposes. More prayer, more zeal, 
more love, and more money, are wanted. And can 
we refuse, when heaven and earth make a united 
demand upon us? 

Scripture must be fulfilled. Here then is our 
best warrant, our high authority, for all our exer¬ 
tions. Let us pray—let us give—let us labor—as 
those who arc confidently expecting the glorious re¬ 
sult we have before us!—“All the ends of the world 
shall remember, and turn unto the Lord; and all 
the kindreds of the nations shall worship before 
thee.” 


IMPEDIMENTS TO MISSIONS. 

EXTRACTED FROM REV. JOHN FOSTER’S MISSIONARY SERMON. 

When we mention the love of money, as another 
chief prevention of the required assistance to our 
cause we may seem to be naming a thing not more 
specifically adverse to this than to any and every 
other beneficent design. A second thought, howev¬ 
er, may suggest to you a certain peculiarity of cir¬ 
cumstances in the resistance of this bad passion, to 
the claims of a scheme for converting heathens. By 
eminence among the vices which may prevail where 
the true God is not unknown, this of covetousness 
is denominated, in the word of that God,—Idolatry. 
Now, as it is peculiarly against idolatry that the 
design in question is aimed, the repugnance shewn 
to it by covetousness, may be considered as on the 
principle of an identity of nature with its enemy. 
One idolater seems to take up the interest of all 
idolaters, as if desirous to profit by the warning— 
that if Satan be divided against himself, his kingdom 


216 


APPENDIX. 


cannot stand. Or rather, it is instinctively, that 
this community of interest is maintained, and with¬ 
out being fully aware: for the unhappy mortal, 
while reading or hearing how millions of people 
adore shapes of clay or wood, of stone or metal, of 
silver or gold, shall express his wonder how rational 
creatures can be so besotted; shall raise bis eyes to 
heaven in astonishment, that the Almighty should 
permit such alienation of understanding, such do¬ 
minion of the wicked spirit; and there is no voice to 
speak in alarm to his conscience—Thou art the 
man! 

As this unhappy man may very possibly be a 
frequenter of our religious assemblies, and even a 
pretender to personal religion, he is solicited in the 
name of Jesus Christ, to bring forth something from 
his store in aid of the good cause. He refuses, per¬ 
haps, or, much more probably, just saves the ap¬ 
pearance and irksomeness of formally doing that, by 
contributing what is immeasurably below all fair 
proportion to his means; what is in such dispropor¬ 
tion to them, that a general standard taken from it, 
would reduce the contributions of very many other 
persons to a fraction of the smallest denomination 
of our money, and would very shortly break up the 
mechanism of human operation for prosecuting a 
generous design; throwing it directly on Providence 
and miracle, with a benediction perhaps uttered by 
this man, (for he will be as liberal of cant as parsi¬ 
monious of gold,) on the all-sufficiency of that last 
resource. Yes, God shall have the glory of the 
salvation of the heathens, while he is happy to have 
secured the more important point—the saving of his 
money. 

How much it were to be wished, that the fatuity 
which this vice inflicts on the faculty which should 
judge it, (herein hearing one of the most striking 
characteristics of idolatry,) did not disabfe the man 


APPENDIX. 


£17 


to lake an honest account of the manner in which it 
has its strong hold on his mind. If, when his eyes 
and thoughts are fixed upon this pelf, regarded as 
brought into the question of going to promote the 
worship of God in Asia, or staying to be itself wor¬ 
shipped, he could clearly feel that he detains it from 
fervent affection to it as an absolute good, he would 
he smitten with horror to find his soul making such 
an object its supreme good, for supreme it plainly 
is, when thus preferred to the cause of God, and 
therefore to God himself. 

But perhaps he thinks his motive regards the 
prospects of his family. Pei haps he has a favorite, 
or an only son, for whom lie destines, with the rest 
of his treasure, that portion which God is demand¬ 
ing. In due time that son will be put in possession 
by his father’s death, and will be so much the richer 
for that portion. That this wealth will remain long 
in his hands, a prosperous and undiminished posses¬ 
sion, is not, perhaps, very probable, w hen we recol¬ 
lect what has been seen of the heirs of misers. But 
let us suppose that it will; and suppose too, that the 
son will be a man of sensibility and deep reflection; 
then his property will often remind him of his de¬ 
parted father. And with what emotions? This, he 
will say to himself, was my father’s god. He did 
indeed think much of me, and of securing for me an 
advantageous condition in life; and I am not un¬ 
grateful for his cares. He professed, also, not to be 
unconcerned for the interests of his own soul, and 
the cause of the Savior of the world. But, alas! it 
presses on me with irresistible evidence, that the 
love of money had a power in his heart predomi¬ 
nant over all other interests. It cannot be effaced 
from my memory, that 1 have often observed the 
strong marks of repugnance and impatience, and in¬ 
genuity of evasion, and acuteness to discover or in¬ 
vent objections to the matter proposed to him, how- 


4 


218 


APPENDIX. 


ever high its claims, if those claims sought to touch 
his money, which he contemplated, and guarded, and 
augmented, with a devotedness of soul quite religious. 
But whither can a soul be gone that has such a relig¬ 
ion? Would he that acquired and guarded even 
against the demands of God, these possessions for 
me, and who, is thinking of them now, as certainly 
as 1 am thinking of them, Oh! would he, if he could 
speak to me, while I am pleasing myself that they 
are mine, tell me that they are the price of my 
father’s soul? 

If the rich man in the parable, (that parable being 
regarded for a moment as literal fact,) might have 
been permitted to send a message to Ids relatives on 
earth, what might we imagine as the first thing 
which the anguish of his spirit would have uttered in 
such a message. 

Would it not have been an emphatic expression of 
the sufferings which the wealth he had adored inflict¬ 
ed on him now, as if he ministered incessant fuel to 
those fires? Would he not have breathed out an 
earnest entreaty that it might not remain in that 
entireness in which it had been his idol; as if an al¬ 
leviation might in some way arise from its being in 
any other state and use, than that in which he had 
sacrificed his soul to it? Send away some of that ac¬ 
cumulation; give some of it to the cause of God, if 
he will accept what has been made an abomination 
by being put in its stead: Send some of it away, if it 
be but in pity to him, of whom you surely cannot 
help sometimes thinking while you are enjoying it. 
Can you, in your pleasures and pride, escape the 
bitter thought, that for every gratification, which 
that wealth administers to you, it inflicts an unutter¬ 
able pang on him by whose death it has become 
yours, and by whose perdition it is so much? 

How different the reflections of those inheritors 
who feel in what they do not possess, a delightful re- 



1 0.8 


APPENDIX, 


219 


cognition of the character of their departed relatives; 
who feel that they possess so mucli the less than 
they might have done, because those relatives have 
alienated to them nothing of what was sacred to 
God and to charity; and who can comprehend and 
approve the principle of that calculation of their 
pious predecessors, which accounted it even one of 
the best provisions for their heirs, to dedicate a por¬ 
tion of their property to God. How different, there¬ 
fore, the feelings of a descendant of such a person, as 
that late most excellent Christian and Philanthro¬ 
pist of your city, whose name* the present topic 
has probably recalled to the minds of most in this 
assembly. 


* “Reynold's-” The Sermon was preached at Bristol. 


THE END. 


GOOD BOOKS. 


The following Works, and many others upon similar sub - 

jects, recently published, and for sale by Samuel 

T. Armstrong, No . 50, Cornhill , Boston , and John F. 

Haven , 146, Broadway , Aew ForX*. 

Dr. Worcester’s Christian Psalmody, price 75 cts. [77. 
which is used at the Seamen's Meeting, Centre 
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Scott’s Famiiy Bible; and many other editions of the 
Bible, at various prices, from gl, to §37. 

Memoirs of the Life of John Bunyan,—Dr. Buchanan— 
Harriet Newell—John Knox—General Washington—Rev. 
Thomas Spencer—Rev. Henry Martyn—Henry Kirke 
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Watts’s Psalms and Hymns—Hartford Hymns—Codman’s 
Hymns and Prayers for Family Worship—Dwight’s Hymns. 

Silliman’s Travels—Complete Duty of Man. 

Doddridge’s Rise and Progress—Baxter’s Saint’s Rest, 

Pilgrim’s Progress—Burder’s Village Sermons. 

Allein’s Alarm to the Unconverted—Baxter’s Call. 

Watts’s World to Come—Jay’s Sermons & Jay’s Prayers. 

Doddridge’s Sermons on Regeneration, and his Sermons 
to Young Persons—Watts’s Guide to Prayer. 

The Converted Jew—Free Mason’s Monitor. 

Golden Treasury for the Children of God—Holy Living 
and Holy Dying, by J. Taylor—Scott’s Force of Truth. 

Law’s Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. 

Letters to a Wife, by John Newton—Henry on Prayer. 

Adam’s View of Religion—Parish’s Bible Gazetteer. 

Cave’s Lives, Acts, and Martyrdoms of the Apostles. 

Chalmer’s Commercial Discourses—Campbell’s Travels. 

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Arguments: Natural, Moral, and Religious. 

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